


The Name Challenge

by Xenobia



Series: Dark Crystal Chronicles [1]
Category: The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Drama, Dreamfasting, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Smut, F/M, Humor, Major Spoilers, Redemption, Romance, Soul Bond
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-22
Updated: 2019-10-06
Packaged: 2020-10-26 05:37:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 89,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20737091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xenobia/pseuds/Xenobia
Summary: The Skeksis have been driven off for now, and the gelfling clans have put aside their differences to try and pick up the pieces. Seladon now bears a title that brings her no joy. Isolated within herself, she seeks to make amends for her past mistakes and shoulders the responsibility of All Maudra despite the weight of it. Her sister and her people have forgiven her, but she can't forgive herself. Only one gelfling has managed to put a crack in the walls she's put around herself, a paladin of the citadel guard. Unfortunately, Seladon has no idea what his name is, and that leads to the most unusual courtship she's ever heard of.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was meant to be a long but single chapter story. However, it kept going on until I decided to break it down into multiple chapters for easier reading. Warning: major show spoilers!

They'd driven the Skeksis off. It had taken the unity of all the clans as well as an alliance with the Arathim; creatures that were once sworn enemies of the Gelfling. The losses they had suffered to accomplish the uprising were staggering. It was still a shock to think of how many gelfling were drained to death, harvested of their life essence, before eyes were opened enough to begin resisting.

She had been one of them. The blind ones, the ones that refused to believe that rebelling against the Lords of the Crystal was necessary or acceptable. She'd tried reason, tried to keep peace. In the end, _she _was the misguided one. She had fallen into hubris and convinced herself that she knew what was best, but in her blindness, she had betrayed her people. Turned on her sisters and her own mother for the sake of her beliefs.

Now, Seladon was doing her best to redeem herself. Her sweet sister, the only family she had left, had forgiven her. None of her fellow gelfling judged her. Even Maudra Fara, who had challenged Seladon for the crown, had died trying to protect her in the end.

So many lives lost, and some of them were in no small part her fault. Her people may have forgiven her in the interest of gathering up the pieces and mending their damaged world, but Seladon had not forgiven herself.

She stood outside the circle of fellowship, with her arms crossed to ward off a chill that had nothing to do with the cooler weather that had moved in. Her people were in the village center of Stone in the Wood, eating, drinking and discussing the happenings of late.

"Do you think we'll ever see Deet again?"

Seladon perked her ears when she recognized her sister's voice asking the question, and she turned to look at the table where Brea sat with Rian, Gurjin and Naia. The four of them had become close to each other, along with Kylan. The latter was currently out on a journey with a small handful of his kin, traveling to the Crystal Desert to seek out certain missing allies.

Rian lowered his drink, along with his blue-green eyes, and he shook his head uncertainly. "I...don't know. When I last saw her, she disappeared into the forest. The plants and branches closed behind her, sealing the way. It felt...like a goodbye."

The group went silent, regret and sorrow shared between them. Seladon felt like a sneaky eavesdropper, and she too felt the loss of gentle Deet. Yet another sacrifice for a cause that might yet be doomed to fail. The clans had won a battle in this place, but the skeksis would surely regroup. They weren't finished by any means.

Seladon could have joined them. They would have invited her presence, encouraged her to talk about their losses, her feelings, her ideas for the future. Gelfling hadn't been this united since the age before the darkening of the crystal. Even so, Seladon retreated silently, deciding that she didn't deserve a place amongst them outside of battle planning. Not yet. She certainly couldn't dreamfast with any of them. The darkness in her needed to stay safely away from the innocents she'd harmed in her mistakes.

She walked away from the village center to find a quiet spot nestled in the surrounding forest. Not too far; one could never be sure what new tricks and spies the enemy might have up their sleeve. She went just far enough for some solitude. Seating herself on a moss-covered log, the All Maudra that wasn't sighed and contemplated things.

As Seladon tried to reconcile her guilt and decide which path was best to take, she heard a familiar whine at her feet. She looked down to see a tawny little face staring up at her, so fluffy that the animal could have been mistaken for a giant hairball discarded from a bigger creature. Her frown softened as she recognized this particular fizgig. Seladon didn't know what had cost this creature his right eye, but Maudra Fara likely was the one to fashion the eyepatch covering it.

Baffi had been there with her when Maudra Fara succumbed to her battle injuries and returned to Thra. He had been her loyal companion, so fiercely protective of her that he'd taken on the skeksis that injured her by himself, a desperate attempt to save his mistress from the being. Now with Fara gone, he seemed to have taken a liking to Seladon. He followed her around and kept her company, perhaps because he was lonely himself and she'd been there with him and mourned as deeply as he did when Fara passed.

Baffi whined again and pushed against Saladon's leg. She reached down to pet him gently on the head, and he nuzzled her hand.

"I don't know why you seek my company," she whispered, again feeling the ache of loss she'd experienced with this animal. "I don't deserve your loyalty, little one."

She was never quite sure, but Baffi seemed to understand words, even if he couldn't speak them in the return language. He growled and fussed, opening his mouth to emit a loud, toothy protest.

"Shh, all right," cautioned Seladon in a hushed tone. "You'll draw attention with that racket, and that's the last thing I want. Stop fussing, boy. Come and join me, then." She patted the spot beside her on the log invitingly.

Baffi hopped up next to her and cuddled against her hip, making an odd purring noise. He nudged under her arm when she patted his head, insistently wriggling into her lap. The gelfling maid sighed, but her annoyance was merely an act betrayed by a bare, breathy chuckle. Baffi's warmth and companionship felt good and reassuring. It was getting dark, and Seladon hadn't thought to fetch a cloak. Dressed in clothing more fit for battle than court, she was still transitioning to the change.

"I'm glad you are here," she whispered to her furry companion. "I think sometimes I can smell Maudra Fara's scent lingering on you. You may be the only one I feel I can relate to, right now."

He gave a little whine as if agreeing with her, and then he pressed his face against her vest. As much for her own comfort as for the animal's, Seladon stroked his fur with gentle motions.

"You miss her," she guessed, her voice low and husky with her own emotions. "So do I. Such a spoiled childling I was, and yet in the end, she became as a second mother to me. My mother...I did not even give her proper rites. I was _so_ determined to prove to the skeksis...and myself...that I was true to the law, that I was no traitor. I—"

"All Maudra, forgive me."

Seladon froze, eyes widening with horror as that familiar voice gently cut into her tirade. She turned, eyes glistening with tears, to see one of her former paladins standing a few feet away. Actually, "former" wasn't the right way to put it. She simply didn't feel like All Maudra now.

"Paladin," she said as calmly as she could, nodding at him.

She knew him well, though not half as well as she felt she should. The one with the long, pale hair shot through with warm hues of magenta and red. She could see some of the individual metallic strands glinting crimson and pink in the late afternoon beams of the three suns, filtering through the canopy.

What was his name? Seladon was chagrined and faintly horrified that in all this time, she'd never learned it.

"I don't mean to intrude," he told her, "but I'm on watch and I happened to notice...pardon me, but you shouldn't go far alone."

She looked up into his gaze. Hooded, not unlike her own. Almost sleepy. A light smatter of freckles across the high cheekbones and nose lent a sort of uncommon charm to his looks. She'd always found him so calm and a bit on the enigmatic side. Not many Vapra had freckles like that.

"You heard me," guessed Seladon. She glanced down at the creature in her lap, who was now regarding the paladin warily—though he'd surely come to be familiar enough with him. Seladon smiled, amused. "It's all right, Baffi. He won't hurt me. He's a friend."

Baffi looked from her to the paladin and back again. He huffed, cuddled closer and then stared warningly at the male gelfling with his one good eye.

"Well." The Paladin cleared his throat, calm but watchful on the creature as he approached. "I heard enough to know that you're dangerously close to the boundaries of our watch perimeter, All Maudra. I wanted to ensure your safety."

"I see." Seladon proudly refused to wipe the tears from her eyes. "Well, I promise not to go any further. I simply wanted a quiet moment. As you can see, I'm not alone."

He glanced down at the animal in her lap, and a bare hint of a smirk curved his lips. He nodded. "So I see, my lady. I won't trouble you further, but please take this."

The paladin removed his cloak and draped it over Seladon's shoulders. "You look cold, and we can't have you get ill."

Seladon gave a little start of surprise, and she tugged the garment closer around her, covering up her fizgig companion in the process. She unconsciously fluttered her lashes as she blinked up at the male. "That's chivalrous of you, but I don't want you to go without warmth on my account."

He shrugged, the leather straps of his armor creaking with the motion. "I'm layered in this protective gear, All Maudra. If anything, the addition of a cloak makes me uncomfortably warm. Think nothing of it."

"Well, thank you," Seladon said a tad awkwardly, trying not to wince at the title he'd used. He was staring at her so directly with that sleepy amber gaze, and she felt a blush coming on. Now was not the time to be indulging in sensual thoughts or actions. She had far more important things to think about than the pleasures of courtship or joining.

He finally released her gaze, dropping his own respectfully as he gave a little bow. "Of course, All Maudra. I'll be just a few paces away if you need me, until my relief comes in an hour. I hope that you'll return to the inner village before then, but if not, I'll be sure to inform my watch replacement of your location...for your own safety, of course."

"Of course," agreed Seladon, finding the logic perfectly reasonable.

She watched him go, and then she put a hand to her warm cheek, willing her urges to calm themselves. Maudra Fara had trained her the most when the time came to take up the sword and hone her battle techniques, but that red haired paladin had practiced with her at times as well. He'd been a member of the citadel guard for as long as Seladon had been preparing for the day she would be queen. He was of an age with her, she was sure, and she'd known him for most of her life.

"And yet," she whispered, speaking down to the fuzzy animal in her lap, "we are still as strangers. What in heavens is his _name_? Do you know?"

Baffi peeked up at her from the folds of the cloak, and he whined.

"Hmph. Even if you did, you couldn't tell me," reasoned Seladon dryly.

It just seemed so ridiculous that she could know someone for that long and never know their name.

* * *

The next day was easier. Her time in solitude had helped to give Seladon some clarity, and she decided it was time for her to push past her self-pity and loathing. Time to be more productive and involved in rebuilding her people's lives.

Even the simple things would be helpful, she reasoned. She'd once been instrumental in sentencing her youngest sister to the Order of Lesser Service as punishment for what she did to Elder Cadia. Brea was forced to do the most menial and often unpleasant acts of charity during her brief time in that position, from chewing up food and spitting it into the mouths of baby nebrie to bathing unhygienic podlings.

Seladon wouldn't be doing any of that, but she began performing community tasks, such as helping with meal preparations, gathering from the forest for food storage, cleaning and repairing houses so that they were fit for occupation again. She lent her assistance to the healers as well, having some basic knowledge of applying salves and bandages to wounds. Many of their people were seeking out such treatment after the battle for Stone in the Wood.

She kept herself so busy all day that she didn't have _time_ to feel self pity. In fact, she would have forgotten to eat if Brea hadn't found her and demanded she take a moment to have a bowl of stew. After complying, Seladon got straight back to work. It was hard, dirty and tiring but she welcomed the ache in her muscles, the blisters on her palms and the sense of accomplishment.

The one thing she _didn't_ enjoy was the sweat and the dirt. Her hair was tangled and her face was smudged by the time evening came around. She was in the healer's hut assisting with cleaning and binding wounds, and her hands were the only part of her that she'd had the opportunity to wash. That was one personal bonus to this part of her community service, though. At least her hands got to stay clean, and she was surprised when Onica—who was also assisting—offered her some lip balm.

"I've noticed that your lips seem a bit dry, All Maudra," explained the auburn-haired Sifa as she pressed the tiny, lidded box into Seladon's palm. She gazed down at the upturned hand with a frown. "You should put a salve on those blisters as well. Go lightly, All Maudra. You don't want those to burst and get infected."

Seladon looked down at the gift, and her tender palm. "I shall take that into consideration, Onica. I'm surprised you would think of me this way, to be honest."

The seer smirked and brushed an auburn curl away from her eyes. "We may not see eye to eye on some things, but you are the All Maudra...and Tavra's sister. In honor of her memory and out of respect for your position, I will do what I can for you. Oh, that balm is tinted, by the way. Only lightly with some dew berries. It should give a nice, pink glaze which I think would compliment your coloring."

Seladon tried not to listen with a jaded ear. She refrained from asking Onica if the lip balm happened to be poisoned. Onica had been her sister's friend, after all. Perhaps more than that. Old prejudices died hard, and Seladon was determined to turn over a new leaf and change the way she interacted with her fellow gelfling, especially those that weren't Vapra.

"Thank you for this thoughtful gift," she said graciously, hoping she sounded sincere. Her lips _were_ awfully dry, and Seladon resisted the impulse to run a finger over them. She hadn't realized they were practically peeling now. "I hadn't even noticed, myself. It seems my peers are more aware of my condition than I am."

Onica made an amused sound through her nose. "You're the All Maudra. Of course we notice when you aren't taking care of yourself."

A bitter taste rose in Seladon's mouth. "Yes, I suppose I am the All Maudra."

It was a title she'd dreamed of having all her life. She'd had such aspirations to be the best All Maudra in the history of gelfling...of making her mother so very proud. Now what she wouldn't give to turn back the hands of time, to be free of that title that she so clearly did not deserve and have her mother and middle sister alive and well again.

"You don't sound pleased when you speak of yourself in that title," observed Onica with a frown.

Seladon didn't deny it, nor did she offer a reason. She simply wasn't ready to open up to anyone except the furry creature that had become her unlikely friend.

Onica, as it turned out, was a prudent gelfling and she didn't press the matter. Instead, she nodded at the carved wooden box in the taller female's hand. "Try some on. It will sooth those cracks in your lips."

Seladon instinctively bristled over being essentially ordered to do something, but she reminded herself that Onica was now the Elder of the seers in her clan, and her actions were born of concern. Time to put aside arrogance and pride. Time to start treating her fellow gelfling more as equals, rather than underlings.

"Yes, they are awfully rough, now that I think of it. I just need...a mirror..." Seladon looked around, sure there were some available in the house of healing. They offered them to patients after bandaging any part of the head or face so that said patients could see for themselves the work that had been done on their injuries.

"Here, I have one," offered Onica. She reached for the belt around her waist, where several pouches were attached containing herbs, colored seashells and symbol stones used for divination. Attached by a leather chord was also a small hand mirror—most likely also used for her craft—and she freed it and offered it to Seladon.

"Ah, thank you." Seladon took it by its engraved wooden handle, admiring the craftsmanship put into it for a moment. "Did you make this yourself?"

"I did," confirmed Onica with a smile. "Would you like one for yourself? I'm sure you left behind so many things, and every gelfling maid should have her own mirror. Particularly a queen."

Again surprised, Seladon's first reaction was to be suspicious. "Why would you offer me such a gift?"

Onica rolled her eyes. "Because of the reasons I just stated. I have no alternate motive, All Maudra. You're a girl, I'm a girl and we both like to pretty ourselves up now and then. In such a time of loss, having a mirror would be a small but significant comfort, don't you think?"

Seladon felt humbled and faintly amused. She did her best to be diplomatic, refraining from emphasizing too much on the reputation of the Sifa. "Truer words were never spoken. What would you ask for in return, though? While Brea has informed me you aren't like most of your clan, I feel a gift without reciprocation on my part would be rude."

"You and your sister," sighed Onica, shaking her head. "A gift is a gift. Both you and Brea are so stubborn when it comes to accepting them."

Seladon recalled with a pang that Tavra often compared the two of them that way as well. She pushed past the ache of loss and kept her voice steady. "What your offering me is worth more than a bauble, Onica. Mirrors aren't easy to obtain, even for royalty. There must be something I can offer in return."

"Hmm. When you put it that way..." Onica appeared to think on it, and then she shrugged. "Honestly, there's nothing else I can think of to ask except that you keep carrying on as you have today, All Maudra. Continue helping our people, guiding them, giving them your compassion. That, I think is what everyone needs the most from you right now."

Seladon felt that ache spring to her chest again, and her eyes burned with the threat of tears. "That's it. Just...keep serving the community? I feel I should do more."

Onica reached out and squeezed her shoulder. Touch was very important to all gelfling. The warmth of physical interaction as well as verbal was as much a part of their culture as symbols and songs.

"That's all, and it's possibly the best gift you can offer. I see now why Tavra always said you were the one destined to be All Maudra. You're stronger than you know."

Seladon checked a sigh. How many times had she been told she was strong? And yet, she'd failed her people in every possible way. Fed them to the carrion, literally.

"Go on," encouraged Onica, breaking into her inner thoughts. "Try the balm. Trust me, it will feel good."

Reminded of the gift, Seladon looked down at the box in her other hand. She nodded, and she found a cot to sit on while she opened up the box.

"Here," offered Onica. "Let me hold the mirror for you so you can use both hands."

Seladon handed it over, and then she collected some of the waxy lip balm on one finger. She smoothed it over her lips, wincing at the sting at first. The balm had a cooling effect, tingling against her skin. It _did _feel good, as Onica had promised. She sighed in relief, and she examined the pink tint of the gloss now coating her lips.

"You were right," she said, managing a weak smile. "It does help. Thank you, Onica."

"My pleasure. It's actually quite easy to make, so don't hesitate to ask if you need more. I also have a cream I can give you for your lovely skin. We have to take care of that, as well. Brea already has a jar of it."

Seladon glanced at the seer as Onica handed the mirror to her. She really had misjudged this gelfling. Probably her entire clan, in fact. "I see now what Tavra saw in you. Your kindness is a gift to all, Onica."

Onica lowered her gaze humbly. "I have my selfish ambitions too, All Maudra. Ah, Tavra. I miss her so much, but she'll always be with us in our hearts."

Tears once again threatened, and Seladon nodded. She had to sniff or else risk a runny nose. "Yes. She will." She held the mirror up and out so that she could better see her face in the reflection, and her jaw dropped. A rare expletive burst from her newly glossed lips.

"Oh, balls. I look terrible!"

Onica burst into laughter that sounded vaguely melodic, like tinkling bells. She cleared her throat and sobered after a moment, shaking her head. "It isn't that bad. You've been working hard all day long. Be more gentle with yourself."

Seladon sighed. She started smoothing her lavender-blonde fringe down with her hand in an attempt to bring it back to order. While she was attempting to primp, she heard the same familiar male voice from the day before, and she froze.

"I've got a minor injury," said the voice to one of the healers. "It might need stitching."

Seladon looked up from the mirror with wide eyes to see that attractive, considerate young male who had offered his cloak to her yesterday. He was standing at the building entrance with his helmet tucked beneath one arm. He really did have a nice, thick head of hair, and she again noticed the glints of metallic red and pink scattered through his long tresses. Strangely, she also noticed his ears. They were always covered by his uniform helmet when she'd seen him in the past, but now they were gloriously free of concealment. He had a small nick in the left one, and for some reason, Seladon found that little battle scar appealing.

One of the healers pointed directly at Seladon and suggested the paladin go to her for treatment. She balked, and she started to panic. She looked at Onica desperately, well aware that her face was smudged with dirt and her hair was unkempt.

"Onica, do you have a comb in one of those bags on your belt? Anything I could use on this mop?"

Onica looked at her with blank surprise.

"Quickly," hissed Seladon, shooting a worried look at her mystery paladin. He was coming over to her. "Please!"

Onica blinked, her brow pinching. "I'm sorry, but my hair is so curly that I don't even use a comb. I have to use a three-pronged—"

"It will do."

"I...I don't have it with me, All Maudra."

Seladon clenched her teeth. How terrible for this male to see her in such a state.

Onica looked from her to the paladin approaching, and she gave a low chuckle. "Oh. I see."

"No you don't," muttered Seladon, embarrassed.

"Calm down," suggested Onica. She then—to Seladon's horror—licked her palms and reached out to start smoothing the taller female's hair. "Hold still. It's just spit, not urine. You Vapra are so pristine..."

"What are you...ew! Oh, fine." Seladon put up with the questionable grooming method, if only because she had no other way to tame the flyaway hairs that were sticking up. While Onica smoothed her hair down, Seladon hastily wiped at her face with a nearby cloth that had been soaking in a bowl of water. It would have to do. She didn't exactly have time to apply full makeup, after all.

"There," announced Onica, stepping back. "I think that's the best we can do."

Seladon checked the hand mirror. It was better than nothing, she supposed. Onica's disgusting method of smoothing unruly strands did a better job than expected. She all but shoved the mirror back at her companion as her paladin ascended the steps to the raised area the two women were in.

"Paladin," greeted Seladon with a regal nod. "Please forgive my appearance. I've been...eh..."

"Working hard all day," he completed for her with a little bow and a nod. "I've seen your toiling, All Maudra."

It was her turn to stare blankly. She'd been so busy all day that she hadn't even considered he might be watching her. "Oh. Well, we must all do our part."

"Agreed." He stepped forward, and she could swear she saw admiration in his pale amber eyes. "They said I should come to you for this. You've apparently got a gentle touch. Oh, pardon me, Elder."

Onica smiled and bowed. "Not at all. I'll just leave you to our All Maudra's tender touch."

"Wait," Seladon said, nervous in ways she hadn't experienced since coming of age. "You could stay by my side..."

"Oh no, I think I would just be a distraction," countered Onica, smirking slyly at her. "I'm sure you have him, All Maudra."

Seladon's cheeks warmed immediately at the suggestive comment. She watched helplessly as her would-be support gelfling took her leave, collecting the mirror before she went. Taking a deep breath, Seladon faced her patient and gestured at the cot.

"Please have a seat, Paladin. What seems to be the issue?"

He glanced down at his right shoulder, and he rotated it with a grimace. "Got into a fight with a spitter, unfortunately."

"One of the Arathim? But they're allied to us."

"Yes, but...forgive me, All Maudra. I still resent being treated as a puppet. Sometimes, it's hard to let go of that resentment and this stupid bug—"

"Easy," cautioned Seladon, struggling against amusement. "Do go on, though."

He calmed himself with visible effort, and he gave a painful shrug that made him wince. "It said I'd made a good slave. I threw my tea at it, and then we went down in a rumble."

"Goodness." Seladon blinked, not feigning her surprise. "It isn't like them to gloat. They've been so diplomatic."

"I'm not lying," he said, suddenly fierce. He met her gaze, and his brow was tense over troubled eyes. "This one was looking for a fight. Well, he got one."

She found him so sincere and she identified so strongly with his umbrage. After all, before the alliance, the Arathim had made a slave of her middle sister. "I believe you, and I hold no fault with you for reacting the way you did. I assume someone must have stepped in to break up the fight?"

He nodded, relaxing after her expressed understanding. "On both sides, actually. To their credit, the older Arathim seemed genuinely displeased with that one's behavior. Between them and my fellow paladins, we were pulled apart from one another. I've no idea what sort of admonishment the spitters gave that cretin, but I hope it got an earful. Assuming their kind even _has_ ears, that is."

Seladon smirked, amused and rather endeared by his passion. "Well then, no real harm done on the diplomacy side, at least. Let's remove this armor so I can determine the physical damage, though."

He nodded, and he allowed her to loosen the straps of the pauldron on the side he was favoring. She worked quickly and efficiently, and she used perhaps more care than average in lifting the piece off and away from his shoulder. Despite her caution, the paladin winced. Seladon could see the pinkish stain of his blood on the clothing he wore beneath his armor, and she hissed in sympathy when she saw the gash in it.

"How did you come by this cut with the armor protecting you?"

"One of its claws hooked beneath the pauldron," explained the paladin. "It isn't entirely foolproof, I'm afraid."

She glanced at him, impressed in spite of herself. "You fought it bare handed?"

He shrugged painfully. "I didn't dare use weapons. I might have killed the stupid thing and damaged our alliance." He held up his hands, and for the first time, she saw the bruises on his knuckles. "That carapace on their bodies is blasted _hard_, too. Fist brawling was apparently ill advised."

Again, Seladon came close to smiling at his wit. Another look at his bruises sobered her. "We'll need to put some moss on that to ease the swelling. Strange, you always gave me the impression that you were such a calm paladin."

"Even I have my bad days," he admitted with a sigh.

That time she _did_ chuckle. He had a sense of humor, and this was the first time she'd learned of it. Checking herself once more, she got back to business. "I'm afraid the shirt will need to come down on this side, for me to see to this properly."

"Of course. If you don't mind assisting me, that is."

"No trouble at all."

Seladon helped him loosen his shirt, and their fingers brushed against one another as she loosened the drawstrings. Perhaps it would have been better to remove the garment entirely, but she was feeling such maidenly awkwardness that she feared undressing him that much might send her into a humiliating spiral of shyness. When she tugged the shirt down to expose his injury, Seladon again betrayed herself with her reaction at the sight of the jagged gash.

"Oh, my poor paladin," she sighed thoughtlessly, frowning at the reddened, bleeding wound. "This is worse than I expected. Does it hurt?"

"Yes," he admitted candidly, straight-faced. "It's hot and it stings terribly."

"Hmm. Most guardsman would try and brush it off as a simple scratch," she mused, meeting his eyes. He was staring at her again, and she felt another blush rising to the surface.

"I'd rather be truthful," he murmured. "Lying about it might lend the illusion of gumption, but it would hinder your ability to treat me."

"I see." She was again impressed. He didn't put on some act for the sake of impressing her. That straight-forward honesty was truly a virtue. As Seladon recalled, Brea had told her that this paladin had been the first to volunteer to dreamfast with Rian when he had rescued her, this male and a handful of others from being transported to the Castle of the Crystal.

"So noble," she whispered under her breath, and she turned to collect the cleansing rag from the stone bowl sitting on the pedestal. She wrung it out and bent over to begin carefully cleaning the wound. Her patient stayed cooperatively still for her, only emitting a soft grunt here and there as she worked.

"Not long," she promised. "You're doing very well, Paladin."

He nodded, staying silent. Once she'd cleansed the gash with water, Seladon took a bottle of tincture off the table nearby and doused a clean, fresh square of cloth with it. "This is for the deeper cleaning," she explained, dripping the contents onto the rag. "It's going to sting a lot when I apply it, but it will help. Are you ready?"

"Yes, All Maudra."

She couldn't help but grimace at again hearing that title bestowed to her, and she wondered if she would ever be able to accept it. This wasn't about her, though. She placed the soaked piece of cloth over his cut and patted it into place, covering it with her hand to let it drench the wound. She looked into his squinting eyes, noticing the tension in his body.

"Just a few moments."

He nodded tersely, another little grunt of distress rising in his throat. The temptation to stroke his soft-looking hair was strong, but she refrained. She was there to treat his wounds, not court him.

After a few moments, Seladon removed the now pink-tinged cloth and looked at the cut again. "I'm afraid this _will _need stitching. I'll be as gentle as I can."

He nodded. "You've already proven them right, my lady. You do have a gentle touch."

She felt a smile threatening to tug at the corners of her mouth. She looked through her supplies for a curved bone needle and thin twine, and she measured out what she thought would be enough for her needs. She threaded the needle, dabbed at the gash again to absorb some of the fresh blood, and she got started.

Never had Seladon put so much effort into needlework before. She'd stitched elaborate tapestries and this wasn't the first time in this day that she'd done the same with gelfling flesh, but she treated it as a grand work of art, in his case. She tried to be quick and precise to spare him the extended pain and do it right in one go. He again demonstrated a stoic manner, only expressing his discomfort in soft gasps and grunts until she was finished.

"There," she said, wiping sweat from her brow. "All done. Now the worst is over, but I do need to apply more tincture and bandage it to keep infection away."

"That wasn't so bad," he complimented, giving her a smile. "I'm honored to receive such care from you."

Fighting a childish urge to bite her lip, Seladon clung to her dignity and finished cleaning and dressing the wound. She covered up his shoulder when finished, and she glanced at his discarded piece of armor.

"You probably shouldn't put that back on, for now. Let it rest for a day or two."

"I can't abandon my post," he objected gently. "I have night watch duty on the perimeter of the village. In fact, I need to relieve another guard in less than an hour."

She nearly commanded him to disregard his duties for the night. That would contradict her efforts to be something better than a spoiled princess who always got her way, though. He took his duties as seriously as she took hers, and to undermine that would be shameful.

"Do as you must, then. Just try not to exert yourself too much and get plenty of rest when you can. If the wound acts up, I expect you to seek treatment immediately, understood?"

"Absolutely," he vowed, getting off the cot with a little grunt. He turned to face her again so that she could re-attach his pauldron, holding his arm out with a grimace of effort. He waited for her to secure it, and then he rotated his bandaged shoulder gingerly. "Thank you, All Maudra."

She fought off another sigh, and then she remembered something. "Oh, your cloak! I still have it. It's hanging on the wall in the house I've been staying in."

"Keep it," he offered, "for as long as you need."

She wanted to tell him that she did have her own cloak and that he might need his back, but Seladon was again stunned by his chivalry. She studied the pattern of freckles across his nose and cheeks, and then she lowered her gaze. "That's very thoughtful of you, but once the suns go down, you might find it colder on your watch than expected. Where will you be posted? I shall bring it to you tonight."

"If you insist, my lady. Tonight my watch is on the eastern edge of the village, near the pond. I should be easy to find."

"Very well then," said Seladon. "I'll bring it to you, along with a warm drink. Thank you for your service to our people, Paladin."

He took her hand, gazed into her eyes and then kissed the top of it. "And thank you for yours."

* * *

Seladon finally retired from her civic duties. She lit the hearth to warm the cauldron of water hanging over it, drew herself a bath and got cleaned up. Afterwards, she used a bowl of water to reflect her image and did her best to groom herself. She dressed herself in the only spare gown she had, one of fine Vapra silk. It was a bit tattered now, but it was still fancier than the leggings and blouses she'd traded since joining the resistance.

The lip gloss bestowed to her by Onica was the only makeup she had, and it would have to do. As she combed her long hair and re-braided strands of it with some effort, Seladon found herself again homesick for her old life. How hard it was to pretty herself up without the aid of a servant.

She carefully folded her paladin's cloak up after brewing a cup of thistle tea for him, and she left her little cottage to seek him out. Brea was approaching as Seladon closed the door, and she waved and smiled in greeting.

"Hello, sister! Oh, you're all dressed up! I was about to come and invite you to our gathering in the village center. We're having songs and stories and music and dancing and—"

"Thank you," interrupted Seladon, "but I'm on my way to...take care of a guard."

Brea stopped in her tracks, and she looked between the cloak draped over Seladon's arm and the cup of steaming drink in her hand. "Oh. Aren't you full of surprises, lately. Which guard?"

Seladon's eyes widened briefly before hooding again. "I have no idea, honestly."

This apparently confused her curious, book-loving sister. "So...you're simply doing this at random?"

"No. I just mean that I don't know his name. He offered me his cloak last night, and I'm going to return it and give him this drink in gratitude."

"I see." Though clearly, Brea _didn't_ see and she was already brimming with questions. "Is he one of our paladins? Do you even know where he's posted? That's awfully fine clothes you're wearing just for the sake of—"

"I'm the All Maudra," reminded Seladon, starting to grow cross. "I think it's important that I dress the part once in a while. As for the guard; yes, he's one of our paladins and yes, I know where he's posted. I just don't know his name."

Brea accepted the answer. Possibly because as a princess herself, she was familiar with the issue of remembering the names of everyone that served their family. "Describe him for me. Maybe I know his name. After all, I think it would be better to have something to call him besides 'Paladin', don't you?"

Secretly, Seladon couldn't have agreed more. It was refreshing to know she wasn't being judged for her lapse. "He's been part of the citadel guard since I came of age. You were still learning to walk when he got promoted, as I recall. It's the one with the long hair. Average height, red and pink stripes in his hair. He has freckles. Do you know who I'm talking about?"

"Oh, the quiet one," said Brea. "Hmm. Actually, I don't know his name either. I always just called him 'Red' in my mind."

"Ugh. Fantastic. I can't very well call him that, can I? _'Good evening, Sir Red. Have some tea'._"

Brea gave a soft giggle, something only their sister had been adept at provoking from her. "Why not just ask him yourself? Or is that beneath the mighty All Maudra?"

Without even meaning to, Seladon gave the younger female such a glare that Brea was immediately put on the defensive. "I was only trying to tease. I'm sure you can call him whatever name you want and he'll go along with it. He watches you all the time, you know. He really is devoted."

Seladon was about to try and explain that her anger was over the title, not the jest. Brea's follow-up comments gave her pause, though. "He...watches me?"

"Always," confirmed Brea with emphasis on the word. "Now more than ever, I think. He's always stayed close to you, and he seems especially protective now. You...never noticed that?"

Seladon blinked. Had she been so oblivious this entire time? Red—since she had no other name to give him at the moment—had been the one whose back she'd vaulted off of in the fight against the skeksis. He'd always been the one to announce a summons from her mother, to bring her news of the realm and now that she thought of it, he had _always_ been amongst her assigned bodyguards whenever she traveled anywhere.

"Thra, I am so foolish," whispered Seladon, stunned. How could she have ignored such a male for so long? Why was she just now seeing him...truly _seeing_ him?

"I take that to mean it escaped your notice," reasoned Brea with a little smirk. She looked her up and down. "Are you sure the clothing and attention to your hair are only for public appearance, and not for him?"

"Don't be ridiculous," snapped Seladon. Thankfully it was dark enough that the growing flush in her cheeks might not be noticed. "If everyone insists on calling me their All Maudra, then I have to take care of my appearance. I'm just delivering this paladin his cloak and the brew in a gesture of gratitude. I have no other motive."

"If you say so." Brea looked a lot like Tavra at the moment, with that sly smirk on her lips. "He really is handsome though, isn't he?"

Yes, he was. Incredibly handsome, as a matter of fact. Seladon had started fantasizing about kissing every one of those freckles adorning his face, but such girlish thoughts had no place for her.

"I haven't noticed," she lied.

"Hmph. Sometimes I think you really are made of ice."

The barb struck home, and it must have shown on her face. Brea immediately approached her for a hug. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. We have to be kinder to each other."

"The tea," warned Seladon, even as she awkwardly returned the embrace. "Little brat, do you want your wings scalded?"

"Oh, right." Brea retreated, and she took a little breath. "Well then, I should let you be on your way to bring your casually crafted brew to the un-handsome red paladin. Since you've taken such pains to dress up, I assume you'll join us in the village square afterwards? It doesn't do much good to put so much effort into your appearance if you aren't going to...make an appearance."

Seladon's mouth was rife with counter arguments and insults, but she knew when her sister was trying to get a rise out of her. She refused to give her the satisfaction, and she nodded calmly.

"Very well. I shall join the revelries afterwards. For a little while, at least."

"Good." Brea smiled brightly. "See you then!"

Seladon watched her little sister go, and she rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Brat."

It was a bit of a relief to be free of her questioning, though. Brea could be like a fizgig with a bone when she wanted information, and though Seladon had her share of lovers in the past like most healthy gelfling, she'd never been so flustered over someone she'd never even kissed.

* * *

-To be continued


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you kind readers for your kudos and reviews! Here is the second chapter. Enter...HUP!

He was right where he'd said he would be. Standing silent and watchful, with one hand on the pommel of his blade and the other resting flat against a nearby tree trunk, the red paladin was surveying the darkened forest diligently. An ugly temptation to sneak up on him arose within her, so sudden and unexpected that Seladon stopped in her tracks.

Pouncing on an armed paladin was beyond foolish, and she frowned at the impulse. Why did this male inspire such silly, maidenly reactions in her? A lot of good she would do for herself and her people if she startled him into carving her in half.

"Paladin," Seladon called out after mastering the strange temptation.

He didn't even give a start. He turned to look at her, removing his hand from the tree trunk. He gave a respectful nod of greeting. "All Maudra. I wondered if you would show."

His eyes expressed so much gratitude, even though his face was calm and stoic.

"I keep my promises," said Seladon.

She walked through the undergrowth towards him, into the light of the two visible moons. She had the pleasure of hearing his swiftly indrawn breath, and she knew her appearance was sufficiently pleasing to the eye.

"You look," he said in a faintly helpless tone, "quite lovely tonight, All Maudra."

There it was. The title that she'd wanted so badly but now could barely tolerate hearing. His words stirred her, in spite of that misfortune. She tried not to look as pleased as she felt by the compliment. "I'm afraid my garb is a bit worse for the wear, but I do on occasion have cause to dress my part."

"I see." he looked contemplative. "You seem to take no joy in it, if I may be so bold as to say so."

She ached inside in response to the accurate observation. She spoke her thoughts without stopping to censor herself. "There's little enough joy to be taken in a false title."

He was suddenly tense and stern. "Who dares dispute your place as All Maudra?"

Taken aback by the way he half drew his sword and looked ready to fight someone, it took her a moment to gather her thoughts. "Easy," soothed Seladon. "Sheathe your blade, Paladin. Nobody challenges me, save for myself."

He backed up, replaced his weapon in the scabbard and stared at her with confusion. "I don't understand."

She sighed, and she held out the cloak and the drink. "Here. Take these, and I'll explain myself."

He took the offerings. Setting the cloak down on a log, he sniffed at the tea. "Smells nice."

"It's just nettle tea," she said. "I thought it might warm you. A small gift for your kindness yesterday."

He looked at her as he sipped the brew. He nodded and smiled. "It's very good, my lady. Please, sit with me and tell me what you meant. Oh...your dress. Here."

He ignored her soft protests as he spread the returned cloak out to cover the log, providing a spot for her without contact with the fallen tree. Touched, Seladon couldn't refuse the invitation. She approached and seated herself gracefully on top of the cloak, and she watched as he circled around to take his place beside her.

"That's twice now that you've offered your cloak to shield me," she said to him. "I'm grateful."

"It's nothing." He stared into her eyes, again so direct and unwavering. He held the wooden cup between his hands, and he spoke in a respectful yet authoritative tone. "Now, what did you mean when you said it was a false title?"

Seladon hesitated. She'd spoken of this to nobody. Not even her fizzgig friend. She would have thought that Brea would be the one she vented her thoughts to if she ever found the courage to do it at all, but this paladin was the first to ask her directly.

"What is the point in titles anymore?" sighed Seladon. "So many of us are gone, and the rest lie scattered throughout Thra. Everything has changed. Our way of life, our home...all of it is gone now. What remains is a gaggle of clans trying to put differences aside and ensure the skeksis don't finish what they started. Is there even _room_ for an All Maudra under such conditions?"

He listened thoughtfully, considered her words and then looked down at the cup in his hands. "I think there is. Now, more than ever, the clans need a common leader. You are that leader."

"But I've barely led anyone," objected Seladon with a banishing wave of her hand. "I've failed our people on all accounts! Maudra Fara was the better choice than me, and she's gone now. I couldn't even save her! Now our people have this wretch of a childling carrying the title simply because she inherited it, but I'm not—"

Her tirade was cut short in the most interesting and unexpected way. Before Seladon could finish her self-damning sentence, the paladin closed in on her and muffled her speech with a kiss. She stiffened with surprise at first, but then the feel of his lips against hers registered in her mind. Silky soft yet firm at once, those lips did something to her that Seladon swore no others had ever achieved. Her stomach did a flip, her heart started racing and her complaints died to a muffled murmur. Before she realized it, she'd draped her arms over his shoulders and she was returning the pressure of his lips.

It was a very, very good kiss. How someone could convey so much feeling in just one kiss, she couldn't guess. It was tender, passionate and protective all together. If any of her previous suitors had ever kissed her like this—without even using the tongue—she might have bonded for life with them.

After several moments, they broke apart from each other. At some point during the kiss, he'd placed his cup of tea aside on the log, and he now cupped her face in his palms to gaze into her eyes.

"You are not," he whispered, "wretched. Nor a childling. I'm ready to accept your punishment now."

"Mmm...what?" Still dazed by that kiss, she couldn't comprehend.

"I took liberties without even asking," he clarified, his sleepy gaze narrowing and crinkling at the corners with a suddenly nervous smile. "I wasn't expecting myself to do that, but if you want to slap me, I'm prepared to take it."

Slap him? For making her toes curl with just one kiss? Seladon scoffed aloud, and she blinked. "No. Of all the things I would slap someone for, a kiss like that wouldn't be one of them."

He chuckled and released her face. He watched her from the corner of his eyes as he picked up his tea and had another sip. "I'm happy to have pleased you, but I still offer apologies. That wasn't appropriate of me."

"Perhaps not," she agreed, "but it did shut me up. Tell me, why did you do it? Surely my string of self-pity wasn't so attractive that you just had to have me."

He lowered his cup and shook his head. "No, it was...the opposite."

She frowned. "Then why kiss me if I was so unappealing?"

He sighed. "Because, as you said, I wanted you to stop. Hearing you talk about yourself that way, seeing how hopeless and sad you were...I just had to act."

Seladon dropped her gaze, ashamed. "Then it wasn't because you're attracted to me."

He slipped a hand under her chin, urging her to look at him. "That's not it at all, my lady. In truth, I've admired you from the start. My actions a moment ago were...eh...desperate, I suppose. You have no idea how many times I've wanted to kiss you like that, but I was too afraid to act on it."

His answer both flattered and puzzled her. "But why now? Why when I was acting so pathetic did you decide to do that?"

It was his turn to lower his gaze. He seemed equally confused about that, and he spoke softly. "I think it was because you opened up to me. Showed me how vulnerable you were. I see you trying so hard each day, but today you did more than act as a ruler. You spent the whole day _helping_ people with your own hands."

He took her hands in his, turned them over and examined the blisters on them. Seladon had used a salve to help them heal, but they were going to be raw for a while. He kissed each of her palms, and then he looked at her again. "I've never seen an All Maudra toil like that before. It made me admire you even more, and I might have acted as much to take advantage of your vulnerability as to stop you from putting yourself down so much. It was the first opportunity I've had to act, and I'm sorry that my timing wasn't better."

Her heart swelled with emotion. Seladon quickly averted her gaze, blinking back tears. "There's so much I don't know about you. You've always been the solid paladin, the one who was always there, always loyal and always perfect—"

He snorted, and she paused. Tilting her head to the side, she looked at him curiously. "Did I say something amusing?"

The paladin nodded. "Your use of the word 'perfect' isn't quite what I would choose to describe my service."

"But you've been nothing short of a beacon of purity when it comes to how our paladins should behave," she objected. "You say I don't think well enough of myself, but you seem to have the same issue."

He took another sip of his tea before regarding her seriously. "Do you remember the day I was first announced to All Maudra Mayrin as the newest member of her guard? You were there."

She thought back, and she nodded. "Yes. Your armor seemed a bit too big for you, and you were holding...a pike?"

"That's right." He looked pleased that she recalled it. "And do you remember what I did when the captain announced me? I tried to salute with my pike, but the jewels hanging from the ceiling of the chamber were hanging so low that I—"

"Knocked one of them down," finished Seladon. It was all coming back to her. "Oh, I do remember that."

"I thought I was dead for certain," he chuckled. "It was practically sacrilege."

She remembered so clearly now. "You were so cute. That pike was so much bigger than you were, and I remember how you struggled with it."

"I wanted to make the All Maudra proud," he said. "I wanted to impress her. I impressed her all right; impressed her as a clumsy oaf. But your mother was so kind to me. She insisted I not be punished for the accident, and she told me I would grow into my armor."

That too, Seladon remembered. She smiled nostalgically. "She did have her kind moments. She was always so patient with youths. It wasn't until I came of age that she started being so firm with me."

"She loved childlings," he agreed. "I remember her sending supplies to families with little ones when harvests weren't plentiful."

Seladon recalled that as well, and she wondered when that stopped. "The skeksis eventually influenced her. Then when her eyes were open to their treachery, I...I named her a traitor."

He regarded her quietly, and he spoke in a low tone. "We all believed in the skeksis. Your crime was no worse than anyone else's."

"That isn't true." Upset, Seladon got up from her seat, and she paced before him in agitation. "I did so much worse than everyone else. I didn't just trust them. I remained loyal to them even after I had proof of their intentions! I...there is no forgiveness for what I've done."

"All Maudra..."

"Don't call me that! I'm sick of hearing that title! I don't deserve it!"

He set his cup down and got off the log. Seladon struggled against his hold when he embraced her, but the rush of emotion and shame weakened her. He was so warm and solid, and she so desperately wanted comfort. She sobbed, and he pulled her to his chest and held her tightly. Within moments, she was crying against him, hugging him back.

"I...don't want to be called All Maudra," she sniffed. "N-not when we're alone, at least. I know I must do my duty and accept that title in public, but I want at least one other gelfling besides my sister to just...call me by my given name."

"All right," he agreed, kissing the crown of her head. "Whenever we're alone, I'll honor that. Seladon."

She felt a weight lift, though by no means was her heart unburdened by one simple victory. She pulled back to look at him, all too aware that her face was now streaked with tears. The scratches on the left side had healed, the scars from it would remain for many trine before fading to be less noticeable. Even so, he looked at her like she was beautiful.

"Thank you," she whispered sincerely. "I...needed to let those things out. To a gelfling, that is. My fizzgig companion has no concept of politics and can't really share his opinion with me. Thank you for not judging me."

"You've been through so much," excused the paladin, "and we are social creatures. I don't know how you've held all of this in for so long, my lady. You're very strong."

She sighed. "People keep telling me that."

"Maybe because people are right."

She looked at him again, and there was no hint of teasing in his expression or eyes. He was dead serious and once more, she could see the admiration shining in his stare.

"Then you're all seeing something that I haven't been able to see myself," she concluded, trying not to be mesmerized by his gaze and his handsomeness. "I don't consider breaking down and weeping to be a sign of strength. Let alone my uncertainty."

"Being strong doesn't mean you have to be stone," he reasoned. "Strength isn't measured only in muscle. You've persevered despite personal losses. You work from suns up to suns down to help our people rebuild and fortify. If you were weak, All..er...that is Seladon, you would have run away. As for the uncertainty, we face an uncertain future. You're gelfling, not an immortal. Even Mother Aughra isn't perfect, so why should you be?"

Everything he said was maddeningly logical. She couldn't find a single flaw in it, and that annoyed Seladon because she _needed_ to stay angry with herself for a while. She opened her mouth, shut it and then turned her back to him.

"You can't understand. You're so very forgiving, like the rest of our people, but if you knew..."

Warm hands settled on her shoulders from behind, and his breath tickled her ear as he spoke into it. "Show me, then. Dreamfast with me. There are no lies in dreamfasting. If we do that and I still insist you're a good and worthy person, perhaps you'll finally start to forgive yourself."

She froze. Again, his request was perfectly logical. There were no lies in dreamfasting, and the red paladin clearly valued truth and honesty. She ached to do it, but at the same time, the thought of him seeing just how dark she'd become after the death of her mother...

"I can't," she said brokenly, backing up a step. "It isn't you, it's me. I...I'm not ready to share that kind of intimacy with anyone."

He nodded, and he spoke in a gently calming voice as if she were a spooked land strider. "It's all right. I understand. Please, don't shut me out. I can wait."

"You are ridiculously patient," observed Seladon candidly.

"Only when it's worth it." He reached out a hand for her, smiling faintly.

Seladon hesitated for a moment, and then she took his hand in her own. She felt a spark, and for a second she thought they were going to dreamfast together entirely by accident. Perhaps because her guard was already up, it didn't happen. He looked a little startled at the contact as well, but he only showed it with a brief widening of his eyes.

"Come sit down with me," he offered. "We don't need to talk if you don't want to. No need to dreamfast. I just enjoy your company, All M...damn, excuse me, I did it again."

She heard a low-pitched giggle, and it was with some surprise that Seladon realized it had come from her. She cleared her throat, allowed him to guide her back to her former seat and tried to compose herself. "It's all right. I expect it will take some time to break the habit."

He drank some more of his tea after sitting beside her, and he nodded. "Feels strange to abandon ceremony, but I think we're friends now, right?"

"Yes," she agreed, favoring him with a little smile. "We are friends. I just wish it had happened sooner."

"You were busy learning to rule, and I was busy trying to keep my hands off you."

Seladon gasped, and she chuckled in spite of herself. "You can't seriously have wanted me for that long."

He looked at her dead on again, his smirk fading and his eyes intense. "Care to place a wager on that, my lady?"

That heat was back again between them. She found it hard to breath, and this time, it was Seladon who closed the distance for a kiss. She was tickled by the fact that he dropped his cup without ceremony in reaction, and then his fingers threaded through her hair.

This time, their kiss went on for much longer. Just as the tip of their tongues met, there was a crashing and creaking in the forest, coming close at an alarming rate. Her paladin tore his mouth away from hers and jumped up, drawing his sword with alarm.

"Stay behind me, Princess...uh, All Maudra...that is—"

"Focus on the danger, not what to call me! I'll stay behind you!"

"Right!" He became all business now, putting himself between her and whatever was coming for them. "You out there! Announce yourself at once or I'll have no choice but to let my blade do the talking!"

The ruckus stopped with the parting of bushes. The torch set up by the paladin shed enough light to reveal what looked to be an assembly of stones with carved etchings in them, but then a pair of bright, beady eyes glinted in the torchlight from a shadowed, tiny figure seated atop the stone configuration.

"Hup!"

Seladon recognized that voice, and now that she had a clear view, she also recognized the "pile of stones". She stepped forward, placing a hand on her paladin's tense arm to stay him.

"Deet's podling," she announced, now able to see the familiar, excited features of the spoon-wielding creature. Indeed, he was holding up his wooden spoon with gleeful triumph. "And my sister's pet rock. Lore?"

Hup nodded so quickly that it was a wonder his little cap didn't fall off. "Mm-hmm, mm-hmm! Hup and Lore! Dochey baf loonah!"

"I remember them," stated the paladin softly from the corner of his mouth. "Did you understand any of the rest of that?"

"Not a word," admitted Seladon. Before she could say more, there was a quieter rustle and more unexpected guests came out of the bushes. Kylan stepped into the light, and behind him came two more of his clan members supporting a third gelfling with a limp.

"All Maudra," greeted Kylan a bit breathlessly, bowing his raven head. "We weren't expecting to see you here. We've returned, and as you can see, we brought two of our missing comrades back with us."

Lore grumbled.

"Make that three," corrected Kylan. "Actually this is perfect, because we intended to come to you as soon as possible."

"I see." Seladon approached the group, and she recognized the injured one as a Dousan by his silver-blue facial markings. She wondered if this was her sister's Rek'yr. The Dousan had a bandage covering most of his head, and it was stained with blood. "He needs a healer's attention right away. Come to the village but...er...Hup, is it?"

The podling nodded again.

"I'm afraid Lore will need to remain here. Most of our people don't know him and seeing him might cause panic. We'll get your injured companion to the healing hut and I'll fetch my sister."

Hup gave her an offended look.

"That isn't a request," stated Seladon firmly. "Do you really want to scare everyone, after what they've already been through?"

Hup sighed, patted Lore's head and accepted the creature's help getting down. "No scare gelfling. Where Deet?"

Feeling suddenly like she was talking to a child, Seladon swallowed. "Deet is gone, little one."

Hup dropped his spoon. His eyes widened and his mouth fell open. "Deet...dead?"

"Oh bugger. No, that isn't what I meant." Seladon knelt before the podling, sympathizing with him even though she normally held such creatures in contempt. Hup was such an unusual sort, though, and he'd been as loyal as any paladin. "Deet is alive, Hup. We just don't know where she went."

He visibly brightened, and his lined features took on that same determination Seladon had witnessed the day he'd tried to protect Deet from her after their dreamfasting. "Hup find Deet!"

With that said, he started to rush off. The paladin grabbed him to stop him, and he winced as the podling angrily stomped on his foot and blew a raspberry at him. "Ouch, now listen here, podling—"

"I have this," interrupted Seladon. She reached out to take Hup by the shoulders, and she spoke in a calming tone. "We understand your desire to find and help Deet, but we don't know where she is. It's dark and your services are needed here right now. My mother named you a paladin, did she not?"

Hup hesitated, glancing toward the forest, then back at Seladon. "Yeah."

"So wouldn't it be better for you to help here and rest up? Rather than plunging blindly through the forest with no idea of where to go?"

"But...Deet..."

"Rian can tell you more," assured Seladon. "You should speak with him. Deet wouldn't want you charging recklessly into danger anyway."

He gave her a mistrustful look, and he said something in podling gibberish that made Seladon want to roll her eyes. Instead, she practiced patience and waited until his tirade produced something more understandable.

"You tried...hurt Deet."

Seladon winced inwardly at the reminder of her past actions. "I made a mistake, and I'm very sorry for that. I understand if you won't trust me, but you trust my sister Brea, don't you? After all, Lore was her guardian." She nodded at the rock creature, who was standing silently in the background.

"Yeah. Hup trusts Brea."

"And you trust Rian," she went on diplomatically. "So I'm asking you to speak with them before making any decisions. Will you do that, Hup? We need you; all of us. My mother trusted you, and so do I. Please try to forgive me for my mistakes."

The podling stared at her, and some of the resentment faded from his eyes when she neither blinked nor looked away. He sighed, and he nodded. "Hup help."

Seladon tried to channel her youngest sister's generous, unbiased nature. She smiled at the podling. "Thank you, Hup. I'm in your debt."

He bowed and she had to admit, it was endearing. Such an unusual podling he was. He wasn't even as dirty as most of them. Seladon straightened up, and she looked at the wounded Dousan with concern. "We'll get your injuries seen to as quickly as possible. I suppose a recount of what happened can wait for another time."

"Thank you, All Maudra," he gasped. "Your sister...she's safe?"

"Perfectly," assured Seladon, "and she'll be very glad to see you, if I'm not mistaken. Come along now, all of you. No, not you, Lore. You need to wait here, remember?"

The rock creature grumbled again, and it dropped down in a sideways resting position. Satisfied that it understood the instructions well enough, Seladon nodded to the gelfling supporting Rek'yr and watched them assist him through the wood toward the village, with Hup tagging along closely. She looked to Kylan for answers.

"Brea told me that the Mystic and Skeksis that created Lore took it's life away. How is it here now, unless she was mistaken?"

"It's confusing to me as well," he admitted. "We found Rek'yr because his flying creature was wandering alone in the desert. As luck has it, we followed Bennu to him. He was injured by the hunter. When he came too, we rode Bennu to the Circle of the Suns. The podling was there with Lore, but he couldn't say where his hosts went. After that, we rode his flying creature here. He set it free after we arrived because the climate here isn't good for it, and we traveled the rest of the way on foot."

"Interesting account," announced the paladin. He gestured at the stone creature. "It still doesn't explain Lore's presence, though. Not that I object to it. He saved the princess along with several paladins and myself when we were being taken by force to the crystal castle. The question is _how_ he's here now."

Kylan shrugged. "Ask the podling. I did the same and all that came out was...well, podling. I could paraphrase some of it. _'Boopedy boo, da shiny habbina coosh'_ something or other..."

Seladon shook her head, trying to keep the amusement from her tone. "That's quite enough, Kylan. Brea might be able to make more sense of his explanation than we can. You must be tired from your journey, and I commend you for your success. There was no sign of the Mystic or the Heretic skeksis?"

"None," he answered. "Perhaps Hup knows more, but my head hurts from trying to interpret what he says when I ask him anything requiring details."

For Kylan to express a loss of patience, it must have been a very tiring endeavor. "Go and join them in the village, then. I'll ensure nobody troubles you for the next two sunrises while you rest up."

"Thank you, All Maudra." Kylan bowed, and then he took his leave.

Relatively alone again with the red paladin, Seladon turned to face him. "Forgive the added burden of responsibility, but would you watch over Lore for the time being? I don't think it will turn hostile, but it might need reminding that it can't just wander about."

He nodded. "Of course...Seladon."

She relaxed, pleased that he'd remembered to call her by her name. She wouldn't have tasked him with watching this creature alone if she really thought it would present a threat to him. For Thra's sake, it had carried a tiny podling on its back and Brea had extolled it for its protection of her and kindness.

"Thank you," she told him. She glanced at his shoulder; the one she'd treated just earlier that day. He hadn't expressed any discomfort, but they'd been so caught up in their interactions that he might not have noticed it if it was troubling him. "Does your wound hurt?"

He glanced down at the shoulder. "Just a bit, but I can still do my duty. I promise to ask for early release from my post and see a healer if it acts up."

"Good. See that you do. I have matters to attend now, Paladin. I bid you good evening."

She tried to leave it at that, aware that they had an audience even if it _was_ just a mysteriously animated pile of rocks. As she turned to go, however, she felt the warmth of her paladin's presence press close against her from behind. His hands stroked her arms, and a tingle shot through her body.

"Just so you know," he whispered into her ear, "I just witnessed proof that I'm right. You _are_ a good All Maudra."

Seladon swallowed, and she could feel the crusty dryness of her earlier tears on her face. She turned around to face him, searching his hooded gaze. "If I am, then it's because I have a loyal paladin to give me courage."

He traced her cheekbones with the tips of his fingers, lingering on the dried streak of tears. He then pressed gentle kisses there, murmuring to her between them. "I would kiss these away every night if you would let me. Whenever you need someone to listen, or just to hold you, come to me. I _am_ your paladin, and I'm here for you."

There was no way she could think of to express how much his vow meant to her. Seladon cupped his face, and she started to kiss him only to remember that Lore was nearby. A glance at the creature assured her that it was probably sleeping—if sleep was even possible for it. She decided to throw caution in the wind and kiss her paladin soundly, trying to convey with her actions what she couldn't provide with words.

For him, apparently, that was enough. He kissed her back, holding her tight until Seladon reluctantly broke the kiss and pulled away.

"I have to go," she reminded breathlessly.

He nodded, also breathing heavily. "Good night, Seladon."

* * *

-To be continued


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3! In which Seladon shoots herself in the foot trying to keep the upper hand. Thank you all so much for the feedback and kudos thus far!

She made her way back to the village swiftly, and she saw Rian talking to Hup, explaining to the podling what had happened to his best friend. Trusting Rian to handle that, Seladon checked in on the healer's hut. Her sister was already there, standing by as the healers treated the male she was obviously so taken with.

Seladon walked up to her sister, and she stood beside her. "So, this is your Rek'yr."

Brea nodded. "Yes."

"He's—"

Brea suddenly turned on her and affixed her with a warning glare. "If you say 'Dousan' I am going to punch you!"

Seladon blinked. Was she really _that _prejudiced? Apparently her sister thought so. "I was going to say," she breathed, "that he's quite handsome. Well, from what I can see under the bandages, that is."

"The hunter slammed his head into the ground," defended Brea. "Let's see how pretty you would look after that."

"No need to be so hostile," defended Seladon. "I was trying to be supportive, you little brat."

Brea softened her expression, looking guilty. "I'm sorry. I heard about how quick you were to have him brought here. I'm just worried about him."

Seladon dropped her attitude as well. "We're so used to quarrelling. I suppose it will take more time for both of us to fall out of that habit. He _is_ a handsome catch, though."

Brea smiled. "Yes, he is. So is yours."

Seladon painted a blank expression on her face. "Mine?"

"Your nameless paladin." Brea chuckled under her breath. "Go on, admit it. You are so stubborn."

"I told you, I was just returning his cloak and offering a small gift for his consideration of me," insisted Seladon. "I have no time for—"

"Living?" suggested Brea. She looked at the male on the cot, who was currently having his head injury cleaned and re-dressed. "It seems to me that Thra would want us to renew our race...replace those we've lost. You don't feel that pull, sister?"

Seladon paled a bit. Yes, she felt the pull and now she wondered if it was from her own heart or some biological imperative to reproduce. Gelfling had always been very touch oriented, very free with sex. In the end it was the females who decided when the right time was to reproduce, but her self control against her urges was weaker than usual, lately.

"You're suggesting we should all go out and have babies? Brea, how are we supposed to fight off the skeksis if half of us are heavy with child?"

The younger sister clicked her tongue with annoyance. "I didn't say _every_ gelfling couple should rush to have childlings. I just mean that family is still important and it wouldn't kill us to pursue some companionship. In fact, it might help to save us if some of us do."

"I hate to admit it," murmured Seladon, "but you aren't wrong. We do need to replenish the clans. I just question if now is the right time to do it."

"If Thra urges us to, then it's the right time."

Seladon stared at her, and Brea turned her head to give her a challenging look in return.

"What? Oh, don't worry. I'm too young and I've barely started my courtship. I just think gelfling shouldn't let the state of our world stop us from doing what comes natural." Brea jabbed Seladon's arm with a finger. "And that includes you. You're too afraid to even learn the name of the male you fancy, for goodness sake!"

"Stop making assumptions," snapped Seladon. "I can agree with your logic otherwise, but I know my own mind. Now if you'll excuse me, it's getting late and I need to rest."

She retreated before Brea could deliver a rebuttal. It was a good sign that her sister was so interested in her personal life, but Seladon was having trouble coping with her own reactions to the paladin as it was. In one night, she'd told him things that she hadn't told anyone else...and all she'd meant to do was return his cloak and give him a cup of tea. He made her feel safe and protected, but as Brea observed, she still didn't know his blasted name.

Seladon made it to her house; which was once Maudra Fara's home. No sooner did she close the door then she heard whining and scratching outside of it. She opened the door again to find Baffi there.

"Oh, it's you. Have you eaten?" She squatted down to give him a pat, and he responded with what she assumed to be the fizzgig version of "yes". Obviously he felt more comfortable coming here now, since they'd bonded. It was as much his home as it was hers, so Seladon let him come in before closing and locking the door.

"All right. I'll set down a bowl of water for you," she informed the animal. "I just need to get out of this gown for bed and...hey, what are you doing?"

While she'd been talking, Baffi happily made his way through the house and into the bedroom alcove. She followed him to find he'd hopped onto the bed and made himself comfortable. Seladon heaved an irritated sigh at the creature.

"Look, I won't have—"

Baffi looked up at her and whined.

"Oh, fine then. I suppose I don't really want to sleep alone anyway."

She gave up on kicking the animal off her bed, because it was obvious that Baffi was used to sleeping in it. Seladon had only recently taken over the house, and now that the fizzgig felt comfortable enough to join her in it, she just didn't have the heart to deprive him of what was obviously his habit. He'd probably slept many a night with Maudra Fara. She was the interloper here, not Baffi.

Seladon shed her gown and changed into a night gown for bed. She climbed into bed with her furry companion, and she petted him when he cuddled close. She'd never had a pet before. Though she had misgivings about how hygienic it was, she had to admit it was comforting. If she couldn't have a certain paladin warming her bed, Baffi was a nice supplement.

"What _is_ his name?" she yawned. It almost seemed criminal for her not to know it after the kisses they'd exchanged, but she was too embarrassed to admit to him that she didn't know what to call him.

* * *

With Aughra away at her observatory to rest up for a while, there was little for the gelfling to do besides repair the damage to homes and make plans for defense against future skeksis hostilities. Brea had what was presumably a shard from the Crystal of Truth, which she kept safely hidden away in a lock box until they figured out how to make use of it.

They knew that the shard must be reunited with the crystal so that it might be whole again, but nobody could say if that would be enough to end Skeksis power. UrGoh and SkekGra both seemed to think so, but Brea and the others had described the odd pair as being less than mentally sound. This made Seladon wonder if the theory behind the crystal shard was remotely plausible or just speculation dreamed up by two mad exiles.

Several gelfling suggested they should converge on the castle as one, storm it and heal the crystal. It wasn't a horrible idea, but Maudra Argot reminded them all that the skeksis were immortal and the only gelfling that had managed to put an end to one was now missing in the wilderness, perhaps never to return. What would happen if replacing the shard in the crystal didn't do what was foretold at all? Short of overpowering the skeksis and somehow imprisoning them for life, there would be nothing more they could do to end their reign.

Onica suggested they should send parties to all corners of the world to seek out the mystics. They were supposedly the skeksis other halves, and from Hup's broken description of what happened at the Circle of the Suns, the fall of the hunter was a direct result of his mystic counterpart throwing himself over the edge of a cliff to his death. There was a definite connection between the two races, and Onica thought the mystics might have some answers for them.

This too had its merits, but Seladon reasoned that the mystics were hidden away for a good reason. If they wanted to take action against their dark counterparts, they would have done so long before now. The heretic and the wanderer had told Rian and his company as much themselves. Neither the skeksis or the mystics wanted to be reunited, so short of asking the mystics to kill themselves as the archer had done to save Rian, there would be little help from that quarter.

War councils happened nearly every day, and it seemed they were getting no closer to a solution. The Arathim left Stone in the Wood with the Grottan clan, in the interest of easing the over crowding in the village. Maudra Argot stayed behind to continue planning with the gelfling leaders, but for now it didn't make sense for everyone to stay congregated in the same place. Other gelfling returned to their lands as well, with the promise of responding to a call for battle or reporting any signs of skeksis activity they saw in their territory.

It was a sensible choice, as resources were getting strained with so many mouths to feed. The leaders all remained with enough of their people to provide a strong defense against further hostilities, but there simply wasn't enough room for all of them and many gelfling had been sleeping under the stars or in tents due to lack of housing. With so many vacating the village, there was soon enough room for everyone to have a roof over their head, and Stone in the Wood was nearly back in order.

* * *

Onica gave Seladon the mirror she'd promised, as well as some moisturizing lotion for her skin and an herbal rinse for her hair to keep it strong and shiny. Seladon made good use of the gifts, especially now that she had a suitor—of sorts. She visited her red paladin during his watch duties regularly, whether his post was during the day or night. She brought him tea, the occasional snack and sometimes a mug of ale.

Most of the time they talked about the state of things and hopes for the future, but sometimes they just sat quietly together and watched the sky. This was just such a morning, and the dew was still fresh on the chilly ground as Seladon sat beside her paladin and sipped a warming brew with him. She was deep in thought, and he seemed content just to be near her.

Five moons had passed since the last migrants left Stone in the Wood to ease the population strain and return to their homes. Seladon had spent at least an hour of each day alone with her paladin, yet she still hadn't gathered the courage to just come out with it and ask him his name. She was too embarrassed to ask the other paladins, though surely they had to know it. What would it look like if the All Maudra didn't even know her most trusted guard's name? Seladon thought her reputation had suffered enough from her own actions.

Finally, her companion broke the silence between them after swallowing some of his drink. "You seem very pensive this morning. Was there an early council I didn't know about?"

She looked at him, and she shook her head. "No, I was just thinking of what it must have been like for you when you were training to be a paladin. Did you have any nicknames?"

"Freckles," he grunted, frowning a little. "It's the one I can't seem to escape. Even the blasted skeksis called me that."

She clicked her tongue with annoyance. She'd hoped he'd bring up his own name, but he wasn't cooperating with her. Either he was oblivious to the fact that she'd never called him by name, or he didn't care. How the latter could be the case after they'd been on more intimate terms, she couldn't guess. After all, she'd demanded he stop calling her "All Maudra" when they were alone together. Wasn't he curious as to why she wasn't doing the same for him?

"You would think," Seladon reasoned, "that your peers would eventually start calling you by your given name."

There was a glint in his hooded gaze, and he smirked in a quietly sly manner. "You would think."

Her heart sank. Perhaps he wasn't as oblivious as she'd presumed. He kept staring at her expectantly, and Seladon was again reminded that this gelfling valued truth and honesty, even if he didn't readily part with his inner thoughts. She put her drink down, stood up and threw her hands out, at her wits end.

"Oh, all right! I don't know your name."

He nodded, eyes crinkling a bit with amusement. "I thought as much."

Seladon felt wretched, and she wondered why this male was so light-hearted about it. "It doesn't offend you that I don't know your name?"

"There are a lot of paladins under your command," he excused, "or at least, there were. You had more important names to commit to memory, and you've always been terribly busy with your responsibilities. I never expected you to know the names of every guard in the ranks, my lady."

"Well, that's very generous of you, but why would you continue to let me call you 'Paladin' after the kisses we've shared? I was hoping you would tell me your name, but you've managed to avoid it at every turn."

"You never asked," he pointed out calmly. "I can't read your mind without dreamfasting, so how was I to know you even wanted to learn my name?"

Seladon's jaw dropped, and she sputtered. "Do you really think I'm the sort of female to go around kissing people without even knowing...oh, never mind. I just stepped into that one."

He laughed softly and nodded. "You did."

She heaved an exasperated sigh, and he got up from the mound they'd been sitting on. Seladon was suddenly feeling oddly intimidated as he approached her with a purposeful stride. She wasn't sure what to expect, though she knew he would never hurt her. He stopped before her, put his hands on her waist and spoke in a low murmur.

"You want to know my name."

Seladon stared back at him, feeling her heart pounding at a rapid tempo. Even the smallest things he did excited her, and she had to conclude that past crushes she'd experienced must not have been the real thing. "Of course I do. What I meant to say earlier is that I'm not frivolous enough to spend so much time kissing someone with no interest in knowing who they are. I was embarrassed to ask you after the first kiss, I admit."

"You never thought to ask around?"

Seladon narrowed her eyes at him. "And what kind of impression do you think that would give?"

He shrugged. "The impression that you, as All Maudra, have so many names to remember that you haven't the time to learn the name of every individual paladin in you ranks. You think it would reflect badly on you, but I disagree. Asking people the name of one of your paladins would show that you care enough to bother learning it."

Seladon visibly winced, and she lowered her eyes. "I'm sorry. I let my pride get in the way of common decency. You deserved more consideration from me than that."

He took one hand off of her waist and caressed her face. He kissed her softly on the forehead. "Apology accepted, but please don't dwell on this. At least you haven't been calling me 'Freckles'."

Seladon chuckled, feeling sheepish. She lifted her gaze to look at him, surveying the pattern of markings on his face. She reached up to trace them with her fingertips. "I like your freckles, sir."

His eyes became heavy-lidded again, and he turned his head a bit to kiss her fingers. "Good."

The brush of his lips against the pads of her fingertips was teasing and sensual, and it took a moment for Seladon to regain her train of thought. "So, what _is_ your name, now that we've established I made yet another mistake and we're moving past it?"

He just stared at her.

"What?" Demanded Seladon, fighting the urge to fidget. "You admonished me for not asking you personally, so I'm asking now? Surely you were given a name at birth."

"I was."

"Then what is it?"

He grinned.

Now she was getting angry. "I don't appreciate being toyed with. I could order you as All Maudra, you know."

"But you won't."

Her brow tensed in response to his confident, almost smug tone. "And what makes you think that?"

He then leaned in to whisper into her ear, his breath tickling it and making it twitch. "Because you demanded that I treat you as a woman—not the All Maudra—when we're alone together. By your own words, you're free to be Seladon around me. I don't think you would contradict yourself by abusing your leadership position over something as trivial as a name."

Thra curse him, he was right on all accounts. She tried to ignore the shiver that went through her at the simple but intimate contact, and she pulled back to glare at him. "Oh, aren't you the sly one."

"When it suits my purpose," he agreed calmly.

Seeing that he wasn't going to budge, she sighed and banished her pride. "Please. I can't just keep calling you Paladin all the time. Not if things keep progressing this way between us."

He considered her for a moment, and then he spoke again. "You'll learn my name when you're ready to."

She didn't even try to disguise her exasperated frown. "What is _that_ supposed to mean? My sister is the one who enjoys puzzles, not me."

He wordlessly held up his right hand, palm out. The slow, meaningful gesture had a purpose to it that wasn't lost on Seladon for long. She stared at his palm, her own itching to be joined with it. Dread seeped through her bones, making her feel weak in the knees. She shook her head.

"I can't. I told you that."

"You can. You're just afraid to." He locked gazes with her, but there was something tender beneath the steel in his eyes. "I told you I wouldn't ask again, but I can still request without words. That's the compromise, my lady. When you can trust me enough to dreamfast with me, you'll learn my name."

"So you're giving me an ultimatum? Either I give into your demands and do something that you know I'm unwilling to do, or I have to keep calling you by your station instead of your name?"

He lowered his hand, and his expression softened. "Your interpretation sounds so...cruel. That wasn't my intention."

"Then what was?" she demanded, now feeling tears pricking behind her eyes. "This isn't a game, Paladin. You can't possibly know the darkness inside of me."

"I can if you'll show me," he countered. He sighed, and he gave her a sad look when the first tear trickled down her face. "Shh, please don't. I understand you aren't ready, and I can wait. I never wanted to be the one to make you do that, Seladon."

"Do what? Dreamfast? Then why ask it of me? You can be maddeningly hard to understand!"

"I meant cry," he clarified. He put an arm around her to draw her close, and he started to kiss her tears away. "Remember what I said the first time we kissed?"

Seladon closed her eyes, finding the treatment comforting. "You said you would kiss away my tears."

"Mm-hmm. Every time. I never want to be the cause of them, though."

"Then simply give me your name and forget this nonsense about compromising for it."

He finished kissing the moisture from her face, and he drew back to look at her. "I have a proposal for you that might make things easier. I don't want you to misunderstand my intentions."

She took a shaken breath and nodded. After all, negotiations were something she usually excelled at, and if that was what it took to make him hers, she could at least hear him out. "Very well. What is your proposal?"

He rubbed his chin in thought. "Maybe I didn't explain myself right. I'm not trying to force you into anything you don't want to do. Let me make that clear right now."

She could have argued that was exactly what he was trying to do, but she'd agreed to hear him out, and Seladon had become rather jaded over the past couple of trine. "All right. I can believe that may not be your intention. Go on."

"Think of it more as a promise," he continued. "When you confirmed to me that you didn't know my name, I admit I saw an opportunity. I was too quick to act on it and I scared you."

"I wasn't scared," she denied.

He stared at her, and Seladon rolled her eyes. "Fine. I was afraid. Does that please you?"

"Not a bit," he said somberly. "I'm the last creature in Thra that you should fear, Seladon."

"I wasn't afraid of _you_," she corrected. "Please don't mistake me. It's the act you want from me that frightens me."

"Yes, but by requesting it, I made you fear me in part. For that, I'm sorry. I won't ever try to force it on you. I may suggest it, I may toss some hints your way as a reminder of our terms if you agree to them, but in the end it's going to be your choice."

"Why are you so insistent on it?"

"Because dreamfasting is an important part of gelfling life," he reasoned. "No bonding is more intimate than dreamfasting, though physical unions come close. The ordeals you've lived through have traumatized you. As such, you try to close yourself off from intimacy."

Seladon stayed silent, not denying it. He saw her more clearly than anyone she'd met, save perhaps Tavra.

"No gelfling should live their lives without sharing that intimacy," he went on, embracing her, "but I understand that you need time. I respect you, Seladon. Practically worship you, as a matter of fact. I want your trust as much as I want your heart. On the day you choose to dreamfast with me, I'll know I have it. I'll know that we can heal together, as partners. That's why I'm withholding my name until you take it from me through dreamfasting."

It made a disjointed kind of sense. It was the strangest courtship Seladon had ever heard of, but for their particular situation, it seemed to fit. "So when I have your name, you'll be mine."

He nodded. "Completely. In return, I'll have your trust at last. That would make me eternally grateful to you."

He was offering himself to her. However, she had to find the courage to overcome her fears and face the challenge he'd set down before her. It wasn't so unusual, she thought. It was actually common for gelfling to have standards that must be met before they would commit to a suitor. Usually in Vapra society it was the females that laid down these challenges, but she'd heard of males doing the same.

"My trust in exchange for your name," she whispered. "It sounds so simple, but..."

"It isn't," he finished for her. "I know I've given you a hard challenge."

She sighed, and she searched the eyes of this enigmatic, surprising paladin. "If you've wanted me for so long as you keep claiming, why make me work so hard to have you?"

His gaze was steady, somber and a little sad on her. "Because if you accept the challenge and win it, I'll know it's real. There won't be any doubt that you're the one. If you decline or back out, it wasn't meant to be and I'll just have to accept my loss."

"I see." Her heart was pounding again. Thra, she _did_ want him, but she wasn't sure if it was lust or something more driving her motivation. "What if I ask around and discover your name on my own?"

"That's another condition," he answered. "No cheating. You can't ask anyone my name."

"I knew there would be a catch," she huffed. "Sneaky."

He chuckled softly. "I can be, yes."

"What if I happen to overhear someone say your name, through no fault of my own? Am I to go around covering my ears in public to avoid that scenario?"

"If that hasn't happened by now, it's unlikely to happen soon." He frowned. "But it would be just my luck if it did. I'll tell you what; if you overhear someone speak my name, just don't tell me. Plugging your ears isn't a viable option, especially for someone in your position."

"Sometimes I really do want to plug my ears," she sighed. "Those meetings can be so very boring."

"I know," he agreed. "I've stood guard outside so many of them. I even nodded off one time."

"Bad paladin," she teased, poking him.

"You haven't seen me at my worst yet," he warned with a grin. He pulled her tightly against him again. So tightly that she found it hard to breathe, but the feel of his body pressed so intimately against hers made it worth the shortness of breath. "So then, do you accept my proposal?"

"How much time can I take, before I agree? Is there a limit to how long you'll wait for me?"

"No limit," he vowed softly. "If it takes days or a full trine, I'll wait until you either release me from the agreement or fulfill your part of it."

He seemed so determined, so sincere. "It could be a very long time," she warned breathlessly. "Are you sure that I'm worth it?"

"Without doubt."

Another thought crossed her mind. Just because he was willing to wait for dreamfasting didn't mean he had to go without physical intimacy. Her either, for that matter. Gelfling tended to have many sexual partners before settling down with a single one for life. He could seek out his pleasure with some other female while waiting for her.

The ugly feeling that twisted her insides was shocking to Seladon, and it took her a moment to recognize it for what it was. Jealousy wasn't common amongst their kind. Not unless two gelfling were competing against each other for the affections of the same mating interest. Sibling rivalry and competitiveness between clans was also normal, but to be jealous of other gelfling women when she had no real claim on her paladin yet seemed absurd.

"I have a condition or two of my own," Seladon said, so impassioned by her territorial feelings that she felt compelled to secure some claim on him.

"All right, though my watch is going to end by the time we finish these negotiations."

"Hmph. Cheeky. Well, here's my counter proposal. I will follow the rules you've set down, but in return, I need you to swear to be loyal only to me."

He looked confused. "I already only serve you, my lady."

"I don't mean as my paladin. I mean as my mate."

He tilted his head in a puzzled manner. "But, we aren't mated. That part comes later after the bargain is fulfilled...at least I hope it will."

"Even so, I want you to act as though we are. You want my trust, I want your loyalty. That means you must abstain from joining with anyone else until the day I've won you."

He parted his lips, and for once, he couldn't seem to formulate a witty comeback. What came out instead was a complaint that was both childish and somewhat adorable. "That's just mean."

"That's my requirement before I agree to your terms. Your challenge to me is one of the heart and spirit. Mine to you is one of the body. Frankly I think you're getting the better bargain."

"But..."

"How many girls have you bedded since we began this relationship?" she demanded, narrowing her eyes.

"None," he said immediately. "But still—"

"Then you won't have anything to miss." She relaxed with the reassurance that he'd been true to her so far, though she knew he could have just about any maiden in the village if he wanted to. "Just carry on as you have been. Reject any females that made advances on you other than me."

He did that thing of his where he just stared at her with an unreadable expression, and Seladon raised a brow in challenge. "Am I worth it, or was that just talk on your part?"

He sighed, defeated. His lashes shadowed his eyes as he lowered his gaze and nodded. "Yes, you're worth it. Tell me, does this rule against bedding other gelfling apply to you as well, or is this a test solely for me?"

"Of course it applies to me as well." She put her arms around his neck, and she rubbed her nose against his affectionately. "I may be mean, but I'm no hypocrite."

"Good."

Detecting a vehemence in his tone as well as relief, Seladon pulled back a little to study his face. "Does it bother you, the thought of me with another male?"

He nodded. "More than should be reasonable. What about you? I assume this rule isn't simply because you want to punish me for issuing this challenge. Does it...bother you to think of—"

"Yes," answered Seladon truthfully, interrupting him, "and I feel the exact same way as you do. It makes little sense, but it is how I feel."

"Does this mean there's something wrong with us?" he puzzled, and then his eyelids drooped as he met her gaze again. "Or is it just that we're already so connected?"

Seladon had no answer for that, because she'd never experienced this sort of thing before. Maybe this was what her mother had meant when she told her that one day, she would just know when she found the right gelfling. Perhaps it started with these feelings, and that was one of the signs. She wished she knew more.

"I just thought of something else," he said, interrupting her inner musings.

"What's that?"

He was grinning in that sly, subtle way of his, looking quite satisfied all of the sudden. "If I'm to treat you as my mate from this day forward and keep only to you, then we should be able to—"

"I know where this is going," she interrupted, huffing with quiet laughter. "No, that part is going to have to wait as well."

"But what mated couple have you ever met that didn't have sex with each other?"

It was so ridiculous that Seladon smirked. "Not even the very aged ones, I'm afraid."

He gave her another squeeze, and he nuzzled her temple before whispering into her ear. "Then why not enjoy the physical aspect of it, while we wait for you to be ready for the spiritual one? We should be able to vent that frustration together, at least."

"Our courtship has only been going on for a few moons," she reminded him, even as her pulse quickened. Her fingers curled against his chest, squeezing the material of the shirt he wore under his protective armor pads.

"We've known one another for much longer," he argued. He kissed the tip of her ear. "Some couples join on the first day of their courtship, you know."

"You...flirty...mmm..."

The suggestion was more than a little appealing, and those lips of his did things to her that Seladon couldn't even put words to. She slid her hands up, pushed the helmet off of his head and let it fall to the ground. He started nuzzling her neck, and then kissing it. One of his hands cupped her hip to draw her firmly against him, and he groaned in a most satisfying way.

Seladon pushed her fingers into his hair, finding it soft to the touch and fragrant with a woodsy scent. He said her name in a tight voice, and she clutched at his hair demandingly, turning her head to align their mouths.

She'd laid down the rule of abstaining because she didn't want him seeking pleasure in the arms of some other female, but now she wondered what in Thra she'd been thinking when she said they should abstain from each other as well. She hadn't been with anyone since before the skeksis revealed their treachery to her. Her duties had always kept her so busy that she had very little time to seek out bed partners.

Apparently, she'd gone too long without. Her composure was already in ruins, and her hands were trembling as she began to pull at the straps of her companion's armor pieces. She wanted it off. She wanted to see him, run her hands over those lean muscles, feel his heart pounding beneath her palm with only his flesh as a barrier.

"Seladon?"

The sound of her sister's voice calling her name cut rudely into the encounter, like a splash of cold water. Seladon groaned against her paladin's lips, frustrated by the timing. Maybe if they made no sound, Brea would pass them by without finding them.

"Seladon," Brea called again, "are you out here? You said you were going to get a report from the perimeter guards. There's a dispute going on that I think needs your intervention!"

Seladon broke the kiss, gasping. "Oh, that little bookend! Why now, of all times?"

Also breathless, the paladin relaxed his hold on her, staring at her hungrily. There was regret and frustration in his expression as well. "You'd best go to the princess and see what this is about. I would accompany you, but...I'm not in a presentable condition right now."

"Nonsense, we just need to put your helmet back on and...and..." Seladon happened to glance down, and she saw what he meant. Her eyes widened. "Oh. You weren't talking about your uniform, I see."

He huffed an amused little laugh and shook his head, and the freckles on his face seemed to stand out more as he flushed. "No. It will take more than tidying up a bit to fix this, I'm afraid."

"So I see." Seladon blushed as well, impressed. Even with the hem of his shirt hanging low enough to cover the area, it was bulging out conspicuously.

He cleared his throat. "My eyes are up here, my lady."

Seladon blinked, tearing her gaze off his lower anatomy to meet his eyes. "Excuse me. That was rude."

"Considering what we were just doing, I'd say you get a pass."

She chuckled self-consciously, but she was mortified. She'd very nearly coupled with her paladin right there in the forest, while he was on duty. It was so irresponsible; not just because another guard or anyone else could have come by and seen them in the act. Had an enemy approached, neither of them would have likely noticed it.

"Seladon!"

The All Maudra checked a sigh. "I should go, before she sends out a search party."

He nodded with agreement and turned around to shift himself as inconspicuously as possible. "I'll endure the torture, somehow."

Seladon smirked, though she did feel rather bad for him. Those breeches he wore didn't seem to allow for too much excess room, and they had to be feeling uncomfortably tight now. She would have to be more careful about controlling her urges in the future. She started to walk away, but then she heard him speak to her.

"Seladon?"

She turned around to look at him. He was still in an excited state, but he seemed to have adjusted his clothes to a more comfortable fit. "Yes, Paladin?"

"This rule we've agreed to. I assume self love is still acceptable?"

A wicked impulse struck her. She kept a straight face. "No. We're both to abstain. Completely. Even from ourselves."

His calm expression completely evaporated. His eyes widened and his mouth fell open. "Y-you can't be serious!"

"Don't you think it will make our joining all the sweeter?"

"I think I might break you in half when that day finally comes if I can't get _some_ relief," he told her bluntly.

Seladon couldn't keep up the act anymore, and she laughed.

"Did you really think I would do that to you, sweet paladin? Of course I'm not serious."

"Oh. You were joking. Praise Thra, you really had me going."

"I don't have Tavra's gift for telling jokes," she admitted, "so perhaps I was channeling her spirit for a moment. Self pleasure is perfectly acceptable...so long as you think of me while you're doing it."

"Oh believe me," he assured, "I will be."

* * *

Brea had Lore with her when Seladon found her a short distance away from her paladin's post. The younger female appeared relieved when she made her appearance. At least she wasn't leaving the inner village without her guardian.

"Well, what is it?" Seladon asked. She accepted Brea's hug of greeting, having grown used to it being a daily ritual between them that had been sadly lacking in the past.

"There's an issue with housing," explained Brea. She patted Lore's closest arm and fell into step with the All Maudra. "The council needs you to decide the best way to handle it."

Seladon inhaled slowly, begging Thra for patience. Could the other Maudras do nothing without her help? "I thought housing was no longer an issue, now that so many have returned to their own lands."

"That was true, but some have come back because their own lands have been affected by the Darkening. They can't grow food or hunt sufficiently enough to stay, so they've returned seeking temporary shelter here, until they can make other arrangements."

"How many, and from where?"

"Mostly Drenchen from the south. Not all of their lands are blighted, but the swamps already provide limited food sources. There aren't too many of them; a little more than twenty."

Seladon breathed a sigh. "Even that number is more than we can currently house."

While they'd repaired most dwellings, there were still a few being worked on and they couldn't afford to send more Vapra back to Ha'rar. There was a balance that needed to be maintained here, and most of the Spriton clan had migrated closer to Stone in the Wood so as to be able to react quickly in the event of another attack. Safety in numbers was well and good, but they'd just gotten the population down to a reasonable number.

"I suppose there's no help for it," decided Seladon. "These refugees will have to settle for tent dwellings for now. Bickering over living space is pointless."

"I agree," said Brea. "At least food shouldn't be an issue."

"For the time being." Seladon straightened the circlet she wore on her brow, recently crafted for her. "If too many refugees come in, that will all change."

"Perhaps we could move back to our homeland? That would ease the strain on the local population."

Seladon had to admit that the thought had crossed her mind as well. Vapra lands had some corruption as well, though. "We need to arrange a journey to Ha'rar soon. Stone in the Wood offered a strategic location in our last fight with the Skeksis, but we'll have to adjust our tactics both in defense and offense. I can't sanction a migration back to our homelands until I've had the chance to determine the condition of our own territory."

Brea didn't disagree with that logic. She quietly walked beside her sister with Lore at her other side, appearing deep in thought.

* * *

It was as Seladon feared; there was arguing over sharing living space. Some of the Drenchen that showed up were the same that left to ease the strain on the population. Unfortunately, a few of them had dwellings when they left which were no longer available. This was mainly the cause for the arguments, and the other Maudras worked with Seladon to settle disputes and come up with a solution.

"What if they rotate?" suggested Ethri. "They can take turns with other gelfling. Three moons using tents, three moons in a dwelling. That way everyone has a turn."

"Not a bad idea," stated Laesid. "I think we should prioritize the very young and the very old, though. The most vulnerable gelfling should be taken care of first."

"But if our fighters are exposed to the weather and poor rest conditions," reasoned Mera, "they could sicken and lose their edge. Right now we can't afford to weaken any of our warriors. Wouldn't you agree, All Maudra?"

Seladon nodded, thinking of her paladin and how his skills might suffer along with others if he got ill. "Yes, we must take care of our warriors. Speaking for the Vapra, our paladins are already stretched thin in their civic protective duties. I will not kick them out of their shelter and disrespect their service to our people."

"But we can't leave childlings out in the cold," fretted Argot, looking between the other Maudra's with an offended air. "Those refugees have babies with them. Ethri is right; the vulnerable gelfling should come first."

Seladon pushed back her old habits and refrained from suggesting Maudra Argot was so adamant because she happened to be one of those aged gelfling she thought should take priority. The truth was that none of their observations were wrong. The warriors needed to stay in top form, and the weak needed protection as well.

Seladon got up from her seat and she walked around the chamber, looking up at the high ceiling, the globe lanterns hanging from it, the sturdy walls.

"No, Lore," Brea said suddenly, drawing Seladon's attention. Apparently Brea's rock creature had poked his head in, and the two paladins stationed as guards were reluctant to engage it.

"Brea, please control your companion," advised Seladon, trying to practice the same calm authority that her mother had always managed so effortlessly.

"Uh, yes," agreed the younger female hastily, rushing to the entry to correct the situation. "Lore, I told you to wait outside. Go, and try not to break anything this time."

Seladon waited while her sister ushered the magical construct out. When Brea returned to the circle with a rushed apology, Seladon offered her own fresh idea. "This council chamber is big enough to house nearly the lot of our newest arrivals. Granted it won't be cozy, but it will provide shelter until better arrangements can be made. We can provide sleeping pallets and blankets for most of them, and that should be sufficient."

There was silence in the chamber, and the Maudras looked at one another with surprise. Seladon was surprised by her idea as well. It seemed to have come out of nowhere, but considering all the space this one building had in it, she could see no reason to overlook it as a shelter.

A new shadow filled the doorway briefly, and she looked up to see her red paladin enter the chamber. He stayed respectfully silent and took his place beside the other guards, but his eyes met hers briefly and she thought she saw a flash of admiration in them. He must have overheard her suggestion, given the brief, subtle nod of approval he gave.

"All Maudra?"

Seladon almost gave a start, and she realized that Maudra Seethi had asked her something. "Pardon me," she said graciously. "What was that?"

"I asked where we would hold council if we relinquish the building to the newly displaced."

"Yes," agreed Laesid. "We need somewhere to hold our meetings. Privacy is difficult enough to come by under these conditions."

"I know it isn't the best solution," stated Seladon. "It's only temporary, and it will at least stop the bickering over housing for a while."

She glanced at her paladin again, and she decided it was time to put further consideration into the idea she'd discussed with Brea. "In addition to this, another solution may be viable for us. I intend to travel back to my lands and determine if the situation there has improved or worsened. Reports have come in that some of the blight has retreated, so the Vapra here may soon be able to return to our ancestral homeland. That will further ease the population strain."

"But wouldn't it be wiser to stay together?" asked Mera. "What if the Skeksis move in for the attack again? Scattered across the lands, we may not be able to mount a proper defense."

"Better than having us all huddled in one place to make a bigger target," Argot pointed out. "Not to mention the squabbling such crowding has caused. If it keeps up, Skeksis won't have to come after us. We'll do the job for 'em."

"It isn't yet decided whether the Vapra will return home," explained Seladon. "As I said, our lands may not be in the condition to support all of us, which is why a surveillance and consensus mission needs to take place. We may find that more of our clan needs to evacuate to other lands. Only after I've seen for myself what the situation is can I decide."

"When do you intend to do this?" Ethri questioned.

"It will take time to prepare for the journey, and I must choose who stays and who goes with me. We need a travel party small enough to cover a lot of ground without losing sight of each other, but well armed to protect us from attack. I hope to leave by the seventh rise of the suns from now."

"Brave endeavor," complimented Laesid, "especially so soon after our narrow victory."

"I refuse to live my life huddled in fear of the skeksis," stated Seladon with passion. Her eyes met her paladin's again, and she saw a hint of a smile curve his lips. "Waiting around for them to make another move helps none of us. We can't move forward standing in one place."

There were murmurs of accord, and her love interest gave another little nod. Brea, however, seemed oddly distressed.

* * *

-To be continued


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is all of the pre-written work I've done on this story. That means updates will unfortunately slow down, but at the rate I'm going with this story, they shouldn't take long! Thank you everyone for reading!

"Seladon, I need to speak with you."

She'd been expecting that after seeing the troubled look on her sister's face in the council chamber. Seladon paused at the door to her dwelling, glanced back at the younger female and then blinked when she noticed someone standing beneath a tree just a few feet away. Her sly paladin had apparently followed at a respectful distance. She wondered how many times he'd watched over her without her even noticing. According to Brea, a lot.

"Come in," offered Seladon. She opened her door and nearly tripped over Baffi, who was standing at the threshold apparently waiting for her. "Ah, you little...how did you—"

Before she could even finish the question of how the fizzgig got into her home, he darted past the two sisters and rolled off into the bushes. Maybe She'd accidentally shut him inside when she'd left that morning. He slept with her nearly every night and she'd been fairly distracted when she was getting ready for her visit with the red paladin.

"Oh, I hope he didn't soil in the house," remarked Seladon. "Be careful, Brea. I think he was in here all day, so there's no telling what we may step in."

"Oh." Brea lifted her cloak prudently and looked around at the shadowed floors. "I don't see anything. Maybe he held it in all this time, and that's why he was in such a rush to get out."

"One can hope." Seladon closed the door, but not before having another peek outside. The paladin was still out there, leaning back against the tree trunk with seeming casualty. He gave her a little nod when their eyes met, and she sighed.

"For Thra's sake, I'm not going to be ripped apart by some monster the minute he lets me out of his sight."

Brea looked around in puzzlement. "Who are you talking about? Your fizzgig?"

"No, my paladin. The one you call 'Red'. I never realized until you said something just how much he shadows me."

Brea smiled. "I think that's sweet. He keeps a respectful distance, doesn't he?"

"Yes, which is why I only recently noticed it. He's so...quiet."

"You could do worse than to have such a devoted paladin," advised Brea.

Yes, she could do a lot worse. Despite her expressed irritation, Seladon had to admit he made her feel safe and secure. He made her feel plenty of other things too, and she blushed at the thought of what her sister might have walked in on earlier that day if things had gone any further between them.

"What do you want to talk to me about?" asked Seladon, trying to avoid looking utterly smitten. She schooled her face into a calm expression before shutting the door and turning to face her sister. "You didn't seem pleased with the plan I laid out at council."

"It isn't necessarily the plan I dislike," explained Brea. She sat down at the little table in the center of the main living space, and Seladon joined her. "I think you're making sound choices. It makes perfect sense to look into the situation at Ha'rar. It's our home, after all, and I'm sure some of our clan members here would prefer to return to it. It's also further away from the Castle of the Crystal and Stone in the Wood."

Seladon nodded. "And better suited for spotting enemies before they can close in. Stone in the Wood served its purpose for Rian's challenge, but as we agreed, the same tricks aren't likely to work twice."

"Yes, you're right about that. It's just...my part in your plan that has me concerned."

Seladon narrowed her eyes. "What exactly do you mean, sister?"

Brea heaved a breath, lowering her eyes. "I want to come, but it's...it's Rek'yr."

Now she understood. "How is he?"

"He's healing well," answered Brea. "His headaches have faded and soon his bandages should be able to come off. However, I don't want to leave him. You know Dousan aren't well received by our people. The climate up to the north would be hard for him to adjust to, as well. Then there's our other friends; Rian and Gurjin, Naia and Kylan, Hup and—"

"All right, all right," Seladon interrupted. "I don't need an entire list recited to me. I understand how close you are to your friends, and I share your desire for Deet to be alive and safe. I wasn't going to select you as a member of the expedition group in the first place, so you can relax."

"Oh." Brea appeared startled. "You weren't?"

"No. I was going to entrust you with keeping an eye on things here in my absence and then decide what to do after investigating the situation at Ha'rar."

"You want me to substitute for you?" Brea's eyes were wide.

"I trust you can manage to stay out of any serious trouble in the time it takes for me to go there and come back," stated Seladon dryly, smirking a little. "There is also the advantage of your pet rock. If nothing else, Lore can intimidate everyone into behaving if any bickering gets out of hand."

"I would have expected you to want him in the travel party," mused Brea. "He would be an excellent protector for the group."

"Are you trying to change my mind?"

"No, of course not!" Brea shook her head. "But it's dangerous, Seladon. We don't know when the skeksis might make their next move or what they could be plotting. Suppose you run across them in your journey. Capturing the All Maudra would be too tempting for them to resist."

"Unless the skeksis can see all the way from their castle to the northern outskirts of the Dark Wood, they won't know we're traveling. I very much doubt their vision extends that far, and even if we do happen to cross paths with any of them on our way, they always travel in pairs. With the right paladins, two skeksis should not pose a terrible threat, and land striders can easily outrun their carriages."

Seladon leaned forward in her chair, knowing what their sister would have done in a moment like this. "Don't worry, Brea. I'm not as reckless as I once was. This is a much easier choice than some of the others I've had to make."

Brea sighed. "All right. I'll try not to worry. What about the crystal shard, though? Does it stay here with me, or go with you?"

Seladon hadn't thought of that. "I...hmm. Let me think."

With Lore as her guardian, Brea might be better off as keeper of the shard. However, Ha'rar was more ideal a location to hide it due to the location advantage. Lore had been in a secret right under their mother's throne for trine after trine, without anyone save its creators knowing it.

"Perhaps Ha'rar is the ideal place for safe keeping," said Seladon, "at least until we have the opportunity to use it. Otherwise, it could be safer in the hands of the ones that forged the blade it was hidden in."

"But we don't know where they are," reminded Brea.

"True," sighed Seladon.

"I think you're onto something though," Brea offered. "Maybe for now, it shouldn't be in gelfling keeping. The skeksis don't know about the shard yet, but if they find it and discover what it is, hope for the future is lost."

"Then who or what can we entrust it to?"

Brea mirrored the older female's frown, and she shook her head. "I don't know. It would have to be someone powerful, someone we can trust to...to...ah! Mother Aughra! She said she would come back after seeing to some things at her observatory. Why don't we ask _her_ to keep it for us?"

It was a good idea. Far better than anything Seladon could have come up with. She smiled subtly at her sister, and she nodded. "I knew I've been keeping you around for a reason."

"That's it?" Brea blinked. "You aren't going to criticize my idea at all?"

"You're often taken to flights of fancy and over-reaching with your imagination," answered Seladon, "but this...this is truly a sound plan. Possibly the only solution available to us that can be acted upon quickly. Well done, sister."

Brea blushed with pleasure. "Your idea about using the council chamber as a shelter was very good, too. It seems we're both in top thinking form today."

"Hmm. So it seems." If only she hadn't gotten so distracted by her redhead in the middle of it, she might have presented a more impressive strategy. Thinking of him prompted Seladon to glance toward the little window in the kitchen area.

"You keep doing that," observed Brea.

"Doing what?"

"Looking at the door and the window. If it's Lore you're worried about, I sent him to his spot behind the house I've been staying in with Hup. I think everyone's getting used to him now, even if they give him a wide berth."

"I wasn't thinking of the rock creature." Seladon almost grimaced, immediately wishing she'd taken advantage of the excuse Brea had laid out for her.

"Then what? Your little fizzgig friend? I think I heard some thunder a moment ago. Maybe we should go and look for him, so that he doesn't get caught out in a storm."

Again, Brea had given her the perfect excuse to play on. "Yes, I'm worried about Baffi. I haven't heard him scratch at the door yet and I know he dislikes rain."

"Then let's go find him together."

"Very well." Seladon got up from the table, and her sister followed. She opened the front door and looked out, expecting to find her paladin still standing where she'd last seen him. He was gone.

"He isn't here," she said aloud, looking around. "Where did he run off to?"

Brea came out behind her, and the wind whipped her long tresses across her eyes, forcing her to gather her hair up and tuck it down the back of her cloak. "You've barely taken two steps. Of course you're not going to find Baffi _that_ quickly."

"I meant the paladin," snapped Seladon.

"Oh." Brea circled around to stand before the taller sibling, and she gave her a puzzled look. "You're still calling him just 'Paladin'? What's his actual name?"

Seladon was still looking around, feeling oddly disappointed not to find him still there. "Your guess is as good as mine, little sister."

Brea's jaw dropped. "You _still_ don't know his name? After all the time you've been spending with him?"

Seladon looked at her sharply. "Excuse me?"

Brea rolled her eyes in that way she always did when exasperated. "I'm not as naive as you think, Seladon. I know you always go to him for your 'perimeter reports', and even the most detailed 'reports' wouldn't take that much time to give."

Seladon's tongue froze to the roof of her mouth.

"Are you just going to stare at me like that? What aren't you telling me? Is it related to the decision you made today about traveling home?"

A loud boom of thunder gave both sisters a start, and Seladon realized that she wasn't going to be able to silence Brea's questions until she just came out with the truth. She grabbed her sister's arm and urged her back into the house. The wind sucked the door shut the rest of the way when Seladon went to close it, and she gestured at the table.

"Sit down while I boil us some tea and light some candles. This is going to take a while."

Brea looked mildly stunned. "All right. It must be serious."

Seladon met her eyes, holding her gaze warningly. "You have to swear to me that you will keep this to yourself. I don't want the entire clan knowing my business, especially when I'm not even certain what this is going to lead to yet."

Wide-eyed and more curious than ever, Brea nodded. "I swear."

* * *

By the time Seladon finished explaining her odd courtship with the paladin, the sky was prematurely dark with storm clouds and the first heavy drops of rain began to fall outside. Brea sat quietly, absorbing everything she'd been told. When she finally spoke, what came out of her mouth was completely unexpected.

"How romantic."

Seladon ogled her, wondering if she'd misheard her. "Romantic?" she repeated. "Did you not listen to anything I said?"

"I listened to all of it," answered Brea with a shrug. She propped her elbows on the table, and she bent a little to rest her chin in her palms with a dreamy grin. "This paladin has admired you for all this time—which I already had a feeling about—but even so, he won't give you his name. Instead he wants you to discover it yourself through shared memories in dreamfasting. He's obviously so smitten with you, but he won't give himself to you unless you prove your trust in him."

"Yes," huffed Seladon. "That is the situation as it stands."

"Have you kissed him?"

Seladon's eyes went blank at the memory of the most recent kisses she'd shared with the paladin in question. "Several times, actually."

Brea's grin widened. "Is he good?"

The reaction she got was an exasperated, dry look. "Brea, do you _really_ think I would put up with all of this nonsense if he weren't?"

Brea took her chin out of her hands, reached across the table and poked the hand Seladon was holding her tea cup with. "Is he good at other things too?"

This was going too far, and Seladon knew her face was turning an unsightly shade of crimson. "That's no business of yours, pest."

Brea shrugged again. "I'm just happy for you. Someone has managed to melt the ice."

"Oh stop it," muttered Seladon.

"I still say it's romantic."

"It's ludicrous! Who ever heard of an arrangement like this before? Yes, gelfling sometimes set challenges for suitors but to withhold a name?"

Seladon began to rant, not even realizing what she was saying anymore in her frustration. She put her cup down and got out of her chair to pace the floors. "Oh yes, this is my future mate. His name? Oh, I haven't a clue, because he won't _tell_ me and he's made me swear not to ask anyone else for it. Don't we make such a lovely couple?"

Brea started to giggle. "It isn't that bad."

"Oh and by the way," Seladon went on with biting sarcasm, "In retaliation for his ridiculous demands, I decided I had to trump him with an even _more_ absurd idea. We have to abstain from sexual contact until I fulfill my part of the bargain! No joining with others or even with each other until I learn his blasted name."

Brea's laughter died for a moment, and she regarded her older sister with disbelief. "You're joking. You _must_ be."

Realizing everything she'd just revealed the part that she had meant to keep secret, Seladon threw her hands up in defeat. "I wish I were. Thra, how I wish I were." She shook her head, and she rubbed her temples. Perhaps the rain was partly to blame for her growing headache, but tension was the most likely culprit.

"Oh, Seladon. Come here." Brea got up as well, and she approached the older female to give her a comforting hug.

"You asked if he's good at other things," whispered Seladon, hugging her back, "and I can't answer that. I assume by the way he kisses...but...oh, what am I supposed to do? My diplomacy keeps failing me."

"You _are_ in trouble," remarked Brea candidly.

Seladon nodded, accepting the reverse of their usual positions. "I really am."

"He agreed to those terms?"

Again, Seladon nodded. "With some protest, I might add." She started to cry softly, at wit's end. She spent so much time crying lately, and she was supposed to be the strong one. "Ugh, he's just so...so...aggravating! He's driving me crazy."

Brea relaxed her embrace and pulled back to look at her. She reached up to wipe a teardrop from the corner of Seladon's right eye. "Are you in love with him?"

Seladon sniffed. "I'm not sure. I definitely have _lust_ for him, but in matters of love I admit I'm terribly inexperienced."

"Hmm. Is _he_ in love with _you_?"

"How should I know? Part of the reason I'm in this situation is because I'm averted to dreamfasting. I cannot read his mind, Brea."

Brea considered her answer, and her eyes lit up with an idea. "Maybe instead of asking for his name, you should ask him _that_."

"Ask him...if he's in love with me?"

Brea nodded. "That could be the answer to all of your problems with this relationship."

Seladon felt her headache returning. "Explain. I can't see how that would help."

"He wants you to trust him," obliged the younger sister, "and you obviously need reassurance that he _can_ be trusted, because you want to protect your heart. Words aren't as good as dreamfasting, but maybe if you hear it from his lips, it will lock the first piece of the puzzle in."

Seladon frowned at her.

"I mean figuratively," Brea sighed. "You already know he's infatuated with you, but you need more from him before you can overcome your fear of dreamfasting. If he tells you he's in love with you, perhaps you can push past your doubts. He gives what you need, you give what he needs and you can put all of this behind you and be together as Thra intended!"

It all sounded so simple, yet conversely, so complicated. Seladon had banished optimism long ago, so her sister's solution seemed too good to be true. "And what if he hesitates to answer or doesn't say anything at all?"

"Then you'll at least have a better idea of how you feel about going through with this arrangement," reasoned Brea. "I highly doubt he'll say he doesn't. Not after swearing off intimacy for your sake. Don't you think it's worth trying, at least?"

"I'm not sure," admitted Seladon, but her angst had faded with the promise of possibilities. She looked at her sister with gratitude, seeing her in ways she'd never seen her before. "I may be All Maudra, sister, but in matters of the heart, I think you're much wiser than me."

They hugged again, and Seladon's heart felt lighter, and she couldn't resist teasing Brea a little. "At least mine isn't a Dousan."

"Pfft. You're just jealous that mine gave me bones."

"Oh? Well mine is so special, he doesn't even have a name. Take that."

Both women burst into giggles. They shared their mirth for a little while, until Seladon heard louder thunder coming in from the West. She sobered and looked to the door. "You should get home before the weather gets much worse. Unless you would like to stay the night?"

"Ah, I can't. I don't dare leave Hup alone overnight. Lore will keep watch on the home, but Hup is so small and fast on his feet that I doubt Lore could catch him. He's so heartbroken about Deet, it's all I can do to keep him from rushing off to look for her. That poor little podling."

Seladon nodded. Even in her darkest moments, she could see how much that creature loved their missing companion. "I'll walk you to the door. Best pull your hood up before you leave. The rain is coming down faster."

Brea took her advice, and together they walked to the door. Seladon lifted the bar to open it, and the wind immediately blew it open. That startled her enough, but she and Brea both cried out in surprise to find a cloaked figure standing right in the doorway.

"All Maudra."

Recognizing the voice as well as the sleepy gaze peering out at her from beneath the hood of the cloak, Seladon took her hand away from her heart and sighed. It was her red paladin, and he had one hand poised as if to knock. His other arm cradled something tucked up under his cloak close to his chest.

"You gave us a fright," she admonished.

"Forgive me," he said in that charmingly formal way of his when in public. "I believe this is yours?"

He pulled his cloak aside to reveal a ball of tawny, damp fur. The ball turned in the paladin's hold to regard Seladon with an unhappy expression.

"Baffi," gasped Seladon, holding her arms out for him. The paladin relinquished him to her, and she scratched the fizzgig's head. "Oh, I'm sorry. I was going to find you, but...well, you're home now."

He whined and nuzzled her blouse, obviously relieved to be inside. Seladon looked at her paladin to find him staring at her...again. His words and mannerisms were appropriately respectful, but that stare of his was anything but.

"Thank you," she said as evenly as possible. It was like he was trying to stare into her soul and will her clothes to fall off at the same time. Heat pooled in her belly, and she was very conscious of her sister's presence behind her. "Where...did you find him?"

"I was making my rounds and I found him outside your door, scratching to get in." He smirked, looking at the shivering fizzgig in her arms. "It seems even the fiercest warriors have their weaknesses."

His eyes met hers again, and she knew he wasn't just referring to Baffi's fear of thunderstorms. How was it that he managed to be more handsome to her each time she saw him?

"I didn't hear him," Seladon excused, unable to look away from that gaze. "The thunder must have...overpowered..."

"Yes, the thunder," Brea agreed, suddenly coming to her rescue. "How thoughtful of you to help him, Paladin. Oh, I'm sorry...what was your name again? I'm so forgetful."

For a second, both he and Seladon's attention was riveted to Brea. Seladon looked at her sister with wide eyes, wondering if she was trying to sabotage or help her with this brazen move. The paladin also looked at Brea, and the intensity of his eyes softened to something more casual. He gave a humble little bow.

"There is nothing to forgive, Princess. You can't be expected to remember the names of every paladin."

His eyes met Seladon's again, and the intensity came back. "Again, pardon the interruption."

Strange. It was usually the females that hypnotized their partners with the mating dance, but this infuriating redhead had an uncanny way of doing the same thing to Seladon with his stare alone. Oh, and wasn't he clever to have avoided answering Brea's question so smoothly.

Baffi started to squirm, and Seladon shook herself out of her lusty daze before she could drop the animal. "All right, stop fussing! Off you go. I'll give you something to eat in...wait, Baffi! Not the bed! You're wet!"

It was too late. Baffi rolled across the floor to the little alcove where his former mistress used to sleep and his current mistress currently did the same. He hopped up onto the bed and started scrambling around on it, burrowing into the blankets to dry off.

Seladon threw her hands up. She was doing a lot of that, lately. "Now my bed is going to smell of wet fizzgig. Brilliant."

"Perhaps," said the paladin, "you could seek other quarters to sleep in for tonight, All Maudra."

She turned around to look at the true object of her frustration, and there was no mistaking the suggestion in his eyes. Seladon stared back at him, hardly believing he would be so bold. Sexually frustrated gelfling did tend to lose inhibitions after a while though, as she could testify.

Brea made a noise between a giggle and a cough, and she cleared her throat. She inserted herself between the two of them, and she waved a hand before Seladon's face to get her attention. Seladon blinked and looked at the younger female.

"I should be going," Brea said. She kissed Seladon on the cheek, and Seladon's eyes were drawn again to her handsome paladin, still standing in the open doorway. "Don't worry about the bed. You could always strip and throw your clothes at him."

Seladon did a double-take of her sibling, rocking back on her heels. "W-what did you say?"

Brea responded with a confused look. "The bedding. You can strip it off and replace it. You do have more than one set, don't you?"

"I...yes. Fara...kept three. She actually had surprisingly good taste in men."

Her blunder became glaringly obvious to her when both of her companions gave her dumbfounded stares. Seladon tried to recover from the lapse. "Material. Maudra Fara left behind good, soft bedding. Softer than my own in Ha'rar, actually. I don't know why I said 'men'. Pardon my lapse."

The paladin's eyes softened on her, and the raw sexual energy he'd been putting off moments ago converted into something gentler. "You've been juggling a lot of responsibilities, All Maudra. You must be tired."

"Yes," she agreed, still flushed and unsettled. "More than I suspected, apparently."

He watched her with naked concern for a moment, and then he turned to Brea. "Princess, please allow me to escort you home. The weather is unfavorable and some tree branches may have fallen onto the path, due to the wind."

Brea hesitated, and she looked back at her sister.

"I'm fine, Brea," Seladon assured her. "Go with him. With this storm approaching, I would prefer you have an escort in any case."

"Very well." Brea started to go, but then she paused. "Oh, I forgot something. Just one moment, and I'll be right out."

She closed the door, put her back up against it and faced her puzzled sister. Brea spoke in a raised whisper, just loud enough for Seladon to hear. "You have _got_ to ask him. If that paladin doesn't love you, I'm a podling."

Still shaken by her earlier confusion and the effect her paladin's stare had on her, Seladon reached behind her sister to pull the door open. "Run along, podling."

Brea rolled her eyes, harrumphed and stepped out to join the waiting paladin. She started off without him, and he hesitated. He looked Seladon up and down, but not in a suggestive way. It was more like he was assuring himself that she wasn't hurt.

"I'll see the princess home," he told her, "and then I'll return. Should you need me at any point, I won't be far from your dwelling."

Seladon was almost afraid to meet his eyes directly, but she did so because as Tavra used to say, she was stubborn. She felt a rush again, but it wasn't overpowering like before. What was this quicksilver demeanor he had? He seemed to bounce back and forth between such passion and longing to this protective warmth.

"You're going to stand outside in this weather?" Seladon asked him when silence stretched on between them.

He glanced over his shoulder and up at the sky. He nodded. "I've patrolled in worse."

"Tsk. You'll make yourself ill. If you insist on guarding over me so closely, then you should at least come in out of the rain when you return."

His pupils expanded, and the look in his eyes intensified again. He shook his head, a tiny smirk forming on his lips. "I'm afraid if I take you up on that offer, there will be very little sleep in it for you and a complete lapse in my duties for me."

There it was; that suggestive tone and choice of words that left little doubt of what was on his mind. It was on her mind as well...so much so that it had made Seladon hear and say the completely wrong things earlier.

"Are you insinuating that you would have no control over yourself, Paladin?"

He stepped closer to her. "Yes."

Unprepared for him to be quite _that_ honest, she got flustered. "Perhaps I was a bit hasty when we laid down all of the terms for this agreement."

He cocked his head in that quietly inquisitive manner of his, but he didn't say anything.

"The part about behaving as a mated couple," Seladon reminded softly, "but without the intimacy."

"Ah, the painful part." he nodded. "It's stuck in my mind like sap to a tree, my lady."

"Clever. Well, now that I consider it, that restriction wasn't truly necessary. What harm could there be in...pleasing each other physically?"

He blinked slowly. "You want to retract that part of the agreement?"

She felt like such a hypocrite, but her desire for him was consuming her. She really didn't like the thought of him sitting out in a thunderstorm all night long, either.

"Say you just come in during your patrol," she negotiated. "Keep dry, have some food and drink. I assume the point of this patrol is to guard over me."

He nodded. "It is."

"Thra, when do you sleep?"

He chuckled. "I've gotten used to dividing my rest periods between watches."

She tightened her stance, taking on an authoritative tone. "Come inside when you return. Whatever happens after that is the will of Thra, but I won't have you getting struck by lightning on my account."

"Hmm. There's one way you could convince me to take your generous offer."

Finally, she was getting somewhere. "And what is that, Paladin?"

He held up his left hand, palm out. His expression sobered and he stared at her. Seladon looked at the hand, looked at his face, and she huffed.

"I think you're the first gelfling I have ever met that's more stubborn than I am," she announced, "and that includes my sister. No dreamfasting. Not yet."

Speaking of her sister, Brea called out from up the path. "If you're still going to give me that escort, could we hurry along?"

The paladin lowered his hand. He leaned in to give Seladon a quick kiss on the lips. "Thank you for thinking of my well-being. Get your rest, my Seladon."

With that said, he went after Brea to finish escorting her home. Seladon wasn't sure if he'd gotten his words mixed up as she had earlier or if him calling her "his Seladon" was deliberate. He might have meant to say "my lady" and simply stumbled. He'd demonstrated no awkwardness when he'd said it though, and her heart was again racing.

* * *

Seladon decided to choose a name for her paladin the next morning. She woke up determined to have something to call him, even if it was just a temporary nickname. She didn't sleep well the night before. Between the noise from the howling wind, the rain hitting the roof and the rumbles of thunder, she kept getting startled throughout the night. Additionally, each time the storm disturbed her, she thought of the paladin sitting out there somewhere exposed to it, and she worried about him.

The sky was still overcast when she woke up, and rather than get immediately started on her travel plans, she sat down and mulled over what nickname she should give her paladin. She thought it should be something that described him, and while "Red" was accurate enough, it felt no better than "Paladin". He was more than a paladin with red tones in his hair.

She made some tea and sipped it as she considered words she could use to describe his personality. The nickname should be something simple, something easily discarded once she learned his true name.

"Hmph. Trouble. That would be an apt nickname for him. No, too blatant. Let me see..."

Chivalrous. Strong. Passionate. Sensual. Handsome. Mysterious. Cute. A bit silly at times.

Seladon made a frustrated noise, finishing her tea. All of the words she could think of to describe him would make terrible nicknames. Even if she only used it in private with him, she wanted it to be something that rolled easily off the tongue and suited his traits.

Eventually after Baffi noisily reminded her that they both needed breakfast, the answer came to Seladon. She thought of his tricky ways and how he kept her off guard, and she smiled.

She'd found the perfect nickname for him. With that finally decided, she could set her mind to the task of organizing the investigative mission to Ha'rar.

* * *

Since he'd had patrol overnight, it came as no surprise to Seladon to discover that her paladin had only one late afternoon shift to fulfill. He was easy to find this time, because she'd visited him at this post twice before. It started to sprinkle just as she made it to the spot, and he was sitting on the log near the flagged post. As he'd been the first time she visited him on duty, he was standing with his hood up, his hand on the hilt of his sword and his feet spread slightly apart, surveying the woods diligently.

He turned as soon as she got within a few feet, gave her a little smile and a nod, and relaxed his stance. "Good afternoon, my lady."

"Good afternoon." She gave him the barest smile back, still instinctively sparing with expressions of welcome. "I brought you this."

He looked at the small gourd she was offering. "What might this be?"

"Not wine, if that's what you were thinking," she assured him. "I know you can't imbibe while on duty. At least, not _this _much. It's a pulp blend, both nourishing and hydrating. I think after the night you must have had, you could use a little boost to your vigor."

He took it from her with a faint smirk. "My vigor and I thank you, though I can assure you I'm not lacking in the latter." He winked at her.

"Why must you do that," she sighed, heart fluttering.

"Do what?"

Seladon shot an accusing look at the grinning, handsome paladin. "You know what."

"I'm sure I don't," he said, scratching his head innocently. "Suppose you elaborate for me?"

"Flirt," she hissed. "Tease me and then withhold yourself in the next breath. I understand courtship games, sir, but—"

"Are you saying," he murmured, "that you've grown tired of waiting?"

She could have happily throttled him...while kissing him at the same time. Seladon whirled away with a frustrated sound, turning her back on him to gather up her composure. She heard him give the gourd a shake and uncork it, and she turned back around to see him sitting on his log, drinking. His head was tilted back, baring his throat to the sprinkle of rain. Seladon watched his swallowing motions, admiring the grace of the smooth muscles in his neck.

"Ah," he sighed after having a hearty pull from the gourd. He corked it and nodded up at her. The rain was beading on his face and the long strands of his hair that was hanging down from beneath his helm and hood. "Very refreshing, my lady. You are too good to me."

Seladon's hands clenched into fists. "You aren't going to address my question?"

"You didn't address mine," he pointed out calmly.

"I asked you first!" She stomped her foot.

His eyes warmed on her, and he smiled. He didn't say anything.

Realizing she was acting like a spoiled little princess and she wasn't likely to get a response from him while she continued to do so, Seladon took a calming breath.

"You contradict yourself. You insinuate things with your words—and don't try to say you aren't aware of that—and then you reject me when I respond to your suggestive stares and seductive words."

"Hmm." he looked down at the gourd in his hand, and he swirled it around. "Truthfully? I can't help myself around you."

Seladon ignored the thunder in the distance. She vividly remembered what he'd said to her the night before when she invited him into her home; that he didn't trust himself to be in such private, close quarters with her. Earlier in the same day they might have joined right there in the forest if not for Brea interrupting them.

"Well you need to try harder," insisted Seladon, "or reconsider my offer from last evening."

He raised his eyes from the gourd to look at her again, and then he looked away at the forest and raised his free hand, palm up. "Talk to the hand."

"_Ugh_!"

Seladon turned around again and began to stalk away. It was a predatory walk, dripping with female power and danger.

At least, that was the original intention behind it. She'd started doing it as a power display during mitigations, not only to command the attention of her peers but to make a strong presentation of confidence.

She soon learned that it had an effect other than intimidation on some males. The sway of her hips, the arch of her back and the way she spread her wings all drew their attention in ways she hadn't realized, at first. She knew how to use her crystalline wings to her best advantage, moving them independently from each other to capture and refract light, dazzling her peers.

The outcome of stirring male sexual interest hadn't been her aim when she started practicing the walk. Since figuring out that little detail, she stopped doing it at court or in council. It still had its uses though, and she employed the skill deliberately as she retreated.

"Uh...where are you going?"

Seladon slowed gracefully, rather than coming to an abrupt halt. A conniving grin flickered on her lips before she schooled her expression into one of cool arrogance, and she half-turned to look back at the paladin. Placing one hand delicately on a shapely hip, she speared him with her gaze.

He was staring at her with that smoldering look in his eyes again, like he could barely restrain himself from leaping off of that log and taking her in his arms. Good.

"I'm going to go and love myself for a while, since you can't."

"To be fair, that bit of the arrangement was all your idea." His voice sounded tight and a little husky.

"Yes it was," she agreed with a graceful shrug. "Though I offered to amend that part of our deal, you've been so noble by insisting we honor it. You really are virtuous, Paladin."

He swallowed, and his eyes roved over her form. "Right now, virtue is looking like stupidity's ugly cousin to me."

Seladon very nearly lost her composure over the blunt, witty response. She was determined to win this round though, and she summoned every ounce of resolve she had to keep a straight face. She tilted her wings to catch the light, still displaying for him despite the dull skies muting the effect.

"Well, you've made up your mind. Enjoy the rest of your day, Paladin."

"Hey," he called when she started to go again.

Seladon glanced back. "Yes?"

"Will you be thinking of me?"

She smirked, and she nodded. "Of course. Oh, and I've thought of a name to call you."

"Oh?" he looked curious as well as faintly pained.

"Yes." Seladon narrowed her eyes at him. "Sly."

"Sly," he repeated tonelessly. He shrugged. "I suppose it's better than Freckles."

"Twice as fitting," she remarked. "Good day, Sly."

She could feel his eyes on her as she turned away and resumed her walk. As she reached the path leading away from the clearing, he called out to her once more.

"Your hair looks very pretty today!"

She paused, finding the compliment rather absurd since her hair was now wet with rainwater. She flipped a braid over a shoulder in a primping manner anyway.

"Hmph."

* * *

Seladon was in a remarkably good mood when she returned to the village. She'd finally won a round in this courting game she was stuck in. She knew beyond a doubt that she'd turned the tables on Sly, because she risked a quick peek back after pretending to leave. She'd seen him sitting there with his knees akimbo on the log, his elbows propped on them and his face in his hands. At first she'd worried he was falling ill, but then she'd overheard him speak to himself.

_"'Your hair looks pretty'. That was the best I could do? Thra give me strength to survive this."_

Then he'd straightened up, dropped his hands and looked down at himself.

_"Not again. This just makes it worse!"_

It was pretty obvious that his attention was focused between his legs, so Seladon concluded he was in a state of arousal.

It wasn't exactly the sort of satisfaction she'd been after, but it was refreshing to walk away with her dignity intact for a change. She was so pleased with herself that she actually used a boulder on her way back into the village as a ramp to take to the air. The drizzle stopped, and fluttering about dried her off a bit. She got in a bit of aerial practice and exercise, doing a couple of laps around Stone in the Wood.

The brief flight gave her a sense of freedom as well as providing a better view of how things were progressing with restoration of remaining damaged structures and expansion progress. It was determined that Stone in the Wood was going to end up being the central location for gelfling to rest up on the way to other lands. It was also currently the most promising location for those who were driven from their homelands by the Darkening blight to find sanctuary.

When it became apparent that the sight of their All Maudra flying around was starting to cause a stir for the residents, Seladon decided it was time to take to the ground again and tuck her wings in. She found the perfect landing spot in the village center, where she spotted her sister seated near the fire pit with her journal.

Seladon's landing wasn't quite as graceful as she would have preferred because it had been several moons since she'd last used her wings. She nearly tripped when her feet touched the ground, but she caught herself and covered up the stumble well. She approached Brea, sneaking up on the preoccupied female from behind.

Feeling a touch mischievous, Seladon tapped Brea's right shoulder deceptively, but joined her on the left.

"Hmm?" said Brea as she predictably looked to the right and found nobody there.

"Good afternoon, sister."

Brea gave a start and gasped, whipping her head around to look at the older female. She relaxed and sighed. "Seladon. You snuck up on me."

Seladon smiled. "Couldn't resist. You have ink on your face again. Right cheek."

Brea reached up to wipe at her left cheek.

"The other right," corrected Seladon.

"Oh." The princess followed up with the other cheek, but all that did was smear the blemish. "How is this?"

"Tsk, never mind. Here." Seladon reached into a pouch on her belt for the handkerchief she kept in there. She dabbed it on her tongue and then cupped her sister's elfin face in her other hand to hold it stead while she wiped the spot away.

Brea's eyes widened at the action. "Are you...feeling all right?"

"Never better," answered Seladon in an almost sing-song voice. "There. All done. What are you putting in your journal today, mm?"

Seladon looked before Brea could answer, and she saw the likeness of Rek'yr sketched on the page Brea was working on; unfinished but unmistakable. On an ordinary day that would have been disquieting for Seladon, but she was feeling so good right now that she shrugged it off. Brea was old enough to choose her own suitors, and their world was much different now. There virtually was no longer such a thing as a scandalous pairing, because the structure of their society had been disrupted.

"Nicely drawn," complimented Seladon. "How is your Dousan today?"

"Thank you, and he's...fine." Brea quirked a brow, and she reached slip her palm under Seladon's fringe and feel her forehead.

"What are you doing? Stop it."

Brea took her hand away. "Checking for fever."

"I said I feel fine. Come, walk with me. It's a beautiful day for a stroll, don't you think?"

Brea looked up at the overcast sky and the rain-heavy clouds freshly moving in from the south. Her nose crinkled. "Um...okay."

They only made it as far as the revelry area before Brea grabbed Seladon's hand and pulled her off the path to a quieter area.

"Brea, what are you—"

"All right, spit it out," interrupted the younger female. "What's gotten into you? That isn't to say that I'm not thrilled to see you so light-hearted, but ever since last night you've been acting peculiar and...oh!"

Seladon regarded her suspiciously as her little sister gasped, eyes lighting up. "What?"

Brea's expression changed from ecstatic jubilation to one of cunning, and she eyed her sister sidelong with a grin. "Your paladin."

Seladon tried to conceal a smirk at his mention. "What of him?"

"Don't be coy! Something must have happened between you two since last night! You were acting strange to begin with but today, you're...well..."

"I'm what?" pressed Seladon—not nearly as briskly as she normally would. "Now _you_ need to spit it out."

"Happy," obliged Brea. The look on her face was almost awed. "Like I remember you being when we were childlings."

Seladon's mood got dampened slightly by the memory of what once was. She sighed, and she laid a hand on her sister's shoulder. "I do miss those care-free days. I regret that we may not be able to return to them. However...you are right. I _do _feel happy now."

"All right then!" Brea nudged her. "What did he do? Did he finally tell you his name or...oh, did you dreamfast? Did you—"

"No, we didn't," cut off Seladon with amusement. "Nothing extraordinary happened, you little brat, so stop digging for dirt."

"Well then...what? I _know_ your mood has to be related to him. You are so smitten."

Seladon opened her mouth to retaliate, and then she closed it. "Hmm. You aren't wrong."

Brea slapped her arm. "Then _tell me_!"

Fighting mirth, Seladon tried to keep a straight face. "Aren't you the match-maker. Why so insistent?"

"Because I want to see my sister happy for once."

Seladon's expression softened, and she reached out to stroke her sister's shiny, pale hair. "Oh Brea. You really are sweeter than you are judgmental."

Brea's expression darkened. "You're avoiding the question, Seladon. Don't think you can pat me on the head and call it a day."

Seladon withdrew her hand, and she sighed. "Oh, all right. You want to know what happened?"

Brea gave a curt nod. "Yes, please."

"Fine. For your information, we didn't dreamfast and we didn't join. I just for once...for _once_...had the upper hand. I feel good because this time it's _him_ that's frustrated and _me_ to walk away the victor."

"Ew!" Brea looked frankly horrified. "_That's_ what has you smiling?"

"If you knew the torment he's put me through, you wouldn't have that attitude. Let's just say that he denied himself to me yet again and I paid him back in full."

Brea looked doubtful. "How, exactly?"

Seladon shrugged. "I merely reminded him of what he was missing. Hmph."

Brea went silent for a moment, and then that light of knowledge illuminated her face. "You gave him the Evil Princess walk, didn't you?"

"The...the _what?_" Seladon blinked at her sister.

"The Evil Princess walk," reiterated Brea with a smirk. She nudged her playfully. "You know, the prissy one you do when you're annoyed that incidentally drives males wild."

Seladon suppressed a chuckle. "I didn't realize you'd noticed."

Brea rolled her eyes. "I've seen enough paladins practically panting at you to know better. So, is that what you did?"

Seladon could no longer contain her mirth. She laughed and she grabbed the younger female's shoulders to balance herself. "Yes. I did. I gave him the 'Evil Princess' walk, as you call it. Served him right!"

Brea giggled as well. "Oh, you are so bad. That poor man."

Seladon's mirth faded. Perhaps she'd been unfair to her paladin. After all, _she'd_ been the one to set the terms on physical intimacy.

"Oh Brea," she sighed. "It was such a tiny victory but in truth, I came out the loser as well."

"I don't understand why you two play these games," admitted the younger female. "The heart wants what it wants. Rek'yr and I don't need riddles. When two gelfling are destined for each other, it should be as simple as breathing."

"It should be," agreed Seladon, "but for us, it isn't so simple. Sometimes you have to fight for what you want, sister."

"I suppose I'm lucky," sighed Brea. "Mine is so...straightforward with me."

A note of alarm went off in Seladon's head, purely instinctive. "Brea, please tell me he respects you."

"Of course he does! Rek'yr is, despite what you may think, quite a gentleman."

Seladon relaxed. "That's good. You deserve the best."

Brea smiled, and she hugged her. "So do you...so please stop torturing yourself. Consider asking your paladin the question and just get it over with."

Seladon hugged her back, and she wished with all her heart that it was so simple.

* * *

-To be continued


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, it didn't happen quite according to plan, but I've finally settled on a head canon name for our boy. I rather like it, personally. Now for some dramatic background music.

On the following day, after committing to a list of gelfling she would be taking with her on the survey mission to Ha'rar, Seladon went to the barracks and found out where her paladin would be posted for guard duty. Once she had the information, she went back to her home, cleaned up a bit and prepared a lunch basket. After grooming herself and selecting something nice but practical to wear, she went to the northern edge of the village to search for the paladin.

She found him after a bit of wandering. He wasn't standing idle or at attention. He was practicing combat moves. Seladon ducked behind a tree, set the basket down and then cautiously leaned to the side to peek around the trunk.

His helmet was off and the hood of his shirt was down. His feet shuffled and hopped over the forest floor deftly. He was so light and quick on his feet that his steps would have made no sound if it weren't for the crunch of the dead leaves he trod over. His hair, loose and free of cover, whipped in the breeze as he spun, slashed and thrust at some imaginary opponent.

Seladon watched the sword dance, finding it beautiful. Even in the gloomy light of an overcast day, the smatter of metallic colored strands through his hair glinted as brightly as his swords; and today, he was wielding two of them as opposed to one.

Seladon had seen some paladins dual wield before. Mostly females, but some males were skilled at it too. It seemed her red paladin was counted amongst those numbers. She sighed with admiration as she enjoyed the spectacle, and she couldn't contain a gasp when he leaped through the air, spun with a flash of blades in a corkscrew motion and lopped off a chunk from the thick wooden stake marking his guard post.

She began to realize something. There was aggression in his moves, not just precision and grace. He grunted softly as he made another pass at the post, scouring another nick in it. It was almost as if he had a grudge to settle with that post, but she supposed having a target to aim for helped him to practice his technique. She'd trained with wooden dummies herself when preparing for the battle at Stone in the Wood.

Loathe to interrupt what seemed to be a therapeutic activity for him as well as practical training, Seladon kept silent and waited. She didn't have to wait long; apparently he'd been at it for a while before she found him. He stopped with his back to her hiding spot. Feet apart in a relaxed but ready stance, both blades still clutched in his hand, he swiveled his ears and turned his head.

"Announce yourself."

Seladon blinked. She hadn't been making any noise, had held perfectly still except to draw breath...yet he'd detected her presence anyway. She wasn't sure what to do, because she sensed he wasn't in the best mood and she'd basically just been spying on him.

The paladin sniffed the air, and then he turned around to face Seladon's direction. She ducked behind the tree trunk again, eyes widening.

"All Maudra?"

She winced. How in Thra did he know it was her? Swallowing, she decided it was better to just come out rather than keep sneaking about like a thief. She took a breath and picked up her basket, and then she stepped out from behind her tree to reveal herself. He looked her up and down, and then he sheathed his blades.

"I thought it was you," he said, slightly winded. "How does the day find you, my lady?"

"The day finds me well, thank you," answered Seladon. "Forgive me, but I didn't want to interrupt your practice. Otherwise I would have announced myself sooner."

He relaxed, and he offered his hand to assist her as she began to step over a root to join him. Seladon hesitated, looking down at that extended hand warily. Noticing, he glanced down at his hand, then back up at her.

"Sorry, I haven't had the chance to wash them since this morning."

"Oh, it isn't that." For once, Seladon didn't care about dirty hands.

He seemed puzzled for a moment, and then comprehension dawned on his face. He sighed. "I'm not offering a dreamfast. Just a steadying hand."

Seladon was still fearful that they might accidentally dreamfast. Gelfling could choose specific memories to share with each other when dreamfasting, but she still didn't trust herself to succeed with that if she linked with this male. She didn't want to insult him though, so she took a deep breath and put her hand in his.

He didn't tease her or remark further on her skittish behavior. He helped her over the root, and then he stood looking at her in the small clearing. His breathing had calmed, and his gaze was opaque and mysterious. He was trying to hide something from her, Seladon realized. This was the first time his eyes didn't express what he was feeling to her. One thing she could tell was that he was tired. There were dark smudges under those enchanting eyes.

"Are you...angry for some reason?" she hedged, unable to maintain formality. "I wasn't trying to spy on you."

He looked away, and he shook his head. "It isn't directed at you, All Maudra."

This wasn't like the male she'd been spending time with since the battle. Something was different. Usually warm, encouraging and so determined to gain her trust, he was now the one shutting _her_ out. That simply wouldn't do.

Seladon looked around with a sigh. She found a spot on the ground that looked clear enough, and she opened her basket to retrieve the folded woven blanket she'd stuffed into it. She set the basket on the ground and shook the blanket out.

"Help me spread this out and sit with me. We're going to have lunch, and I want you to talk to me."

* * *

His demeanor was still guarded once they had the blanket spread out and the food sorted on top of it. Seladon poured them both some fresh juice from the gourd she'd brought it in, and then she unwrapped the berry and grain loaf she'd made, following up with the nebrie milk cheese wheel she'd traded for.

Something was clearly troubling her paladin, but he'd been so considerate of her that she tried to treat him with the same respect. Rather than demand that he come out with it, she attempted to ease into it and break the ice.

"How did you know it was me, earlier?" She cut a wedge from the cheese and nibbled it delicately as she awaited his answer.

He paused with a slice of the bread loaf partway to his lips. He wouldn't meet her eyes. "I know your scent."

Seladon's face heated. She nearly smiled, but she checked herself. "Oh. I didn't consider that."

"You have a very distinctive scent, All Maudra."

She huffed, crestfallen. "All right, you've been pursuing me relentlessly for two moon cycles now, and suddenly we're back to 'All Maudra'?"

He lowered his gaze and didn't speak.

Unwilling to let it go, Seladon put aside her food and scooted closer to him. She reached out to cup his face in her hands. "Talk to me. Tell me what has changed."

He met her gaze, and the mirror of his eyes shattered. Pain shone through...unbearable pain and grief. "I need you to be All Maudra now," he said tightly, "because my father is dead."

He couldn't have stunned her more if he'd punched her in the gut. Seladon's eyes widened, and she had to find her voice. "Your father? When? How?"

"A courier came with the news this morning from our homelands," he explained. "He was found in the woods outside the family farm. That's all they could tell me."

He put aside his food, and he got on one knee before her with a salute. "As such, I beg you give me leave to return home. Please, All Maudra."

"No need for ceremony," Seladon said, aching for him. She took the hand he'd placed over his heart, squeezing it. "Of course you have leave, my paladin. In fact, I intended to include you on the expedition home. I can do more for you than give you leave, though. I shall expedite my plans so that you won't be alone. No gelfling should travel by themselves right now; not even a skilled warrior."

He raised his head to look at her, and he brought her hand to his lips to kiss the top of it. "You have my eternal gratitude."

She flushed, her hand tingling from the kiss. It seemed inappropriate to have such a reaction under these circumstances, but she supposed her body's needs didn't care about propriety. "Please eat," she invited, reminding him of the spread she'd provided. "You shouldn't deprive yourself of nourishment, even in grief."

He sat down beside her again, crossing his legs. "As you wish, my lady."

* * *

Seladon hastened the expedition as much as she was able to. By her estimates, they could make it in time for the funeral ceremony if they left in one day. She'd already planned out supplies and participants, so it was relatively easy to speed things along. She spoke to her sister about the situation in private after making all arrangements.

"We leave at first light tomorrow. I wish that I could give you an accurate estimate of when I'll return, but I should be gone no longer than seven moon's time. Can I count on you to handle things in my place until then?"

"I'll do my very best," promised Brea, hugging her. "I doubt I can do half as well as you in matters of council, though."

"Just do your best. Should a truly pressing matter arise that requires my direct intervention, send a messenger to Ha'rar. Only if it's absolutely necessary."

Brea nodded and pulled back. "Of course, sister. Thra speed your journey."

* * *

Final preparations were made the next morning, and the selected group mounted up on land striders for their journey. Seladon was to ride in a carriage driven by armaligs; though the gelfling method of directing the creatures was much kinder than the skeksis. Rather than shock the animals to get them to stop or go, a coachman sat in the front, using a horn to signal the armaligs and a steering wheel to direct turns.

"No, Baffi," protested Seladon when her fizzgig tried to board the carriage. "You say here, where you belong."

He opened his mouth wide to emit a long, scathing howl of protest. It went on for so long that the assembled gelfling covered their ears and winced, and Seladon flushed with embarrassment.

"Oh, fine," she said at last. "Stop that howling, for Thra's sake! You can come with. Go on, get in." She gestured at the open carriage urgently, and he finally quieted and hopped up into it.

"It looks like you're stuck with him," Rian said with amusement.

"So it seems." Seladon smirked a bit, not entirely displeased. It was nice to be so unconditionally loved by someone...someone that didn't understand or care about past sins. She looked to her sister, and she approached her for one final embrace goodbye.

"Farewell," whispered Brea. "Please be safe."

"As safe as possible," agreed Seladon. "Try not to get into too much trouble while I'm away."

"Paladin," Seladon said to Sly as she climbed into the carriage, "ride with me. You will be my personal bodyguard for this venture."

He didn't question her. He dismounted his land strider and joined her inside the carriage. Seladon kept the curtains open to wave goodbye to the gelfling seeing them off, and once they were out of the village and on the road, she drew them closed. She looked at her companion, taking some concern in his pallor and silence. He had those dark shadows beneath his eyes again, confirmation that he'd had little if any sleep.

"Rest," she encouraged softly. She reached out to place a hand on his knee. "We have a long road ahead of us."

He looked down at the hand on his knee, and he covered it with his own. His haunted amber gaze met hers. "I'm not sure that I can."

Again, her heart ached for him. She knew what it was like to lose a parent. Her father had died shortly after Brea's birth and it had only been a turn of the season since her mother returned to Thra. At least her paladin would have the chance to give his father proper rites...something she hadn't done for her mother.

"I know your pain," she said, turning her hand over to squeeze his. "Though no two losses are exactly alike."

"Of course," he murmured, gazing into her eyes. "You probably understand better than most."

"I never knew you were a farmer before joining the guard."

He grimaced. "I wasn't proud of my background, my lady. I never spoke of it to anyone."

"Why would you feel shame for it? Farmers have an important place in our society. Our people owe the food on our tables to the crop growers and hunters of the clan."

He studied her curiously. "Not long ago, I wouldn't have expected you to have such a generous opinion."

"I..." she trailed off, eyes going blank. He was right. While she'd always recognized the value of the hard working laborers in her clan, she still considered them "Lower Class". She had never empathized with them or considered them equals. Not after she came of age, anyway. Her perspective had been different as a childling, but it changed once she began taking on the responsibilities of leadership.

"Thra, I really _have_ changed," she announced.

"Everything changes over time," he whispered. "I was once a poor farmer's son, but I became a paladin because I..."

She met his gaze sharply when he trailed off and went silent. "Because you...what?"

"It isn't important," he answered in a guarded manner. "The point is that none of us are the same gelfling we started out as. Though I think that you've become more like the girl you were when...eh, never mind."

Seladon parted her lips, nearly ordering him to finish his sentences. Reminding herself that he was grieving, she summoned her patience. She really wanted to know where he'd been going with that, but it may have just been exhausted babbling on his part.

"Stretch out on the seat," she suggested instead. "Lie down and rest your eyes, my paladin. If you need to weep, there's no shame in that. I'm here for you."

"I can't give into my grief just yet," he sighed. "I can't come apart right now. If I let it out, I may not be able to stop it. I can't fight off any danger that threatens us if I'm too blinded by tears to see."

Her eyes stung with tears of sympathy, and Seladon nodded and swallowed. This too, she was familiar with. She hadn't allowed herself to openly grieve for her mother until she lit her funeral pyre herself.

"I understand. At least take a nap." Seladon pulled her hand free and patted her lap. "Lay your head here. I'll wake you if your blade is needed."

He looked at her lap, then at the fizzgig cuddled up to her other side. "He won't bite me if I do as you ask, will he?"

Seladon gave Baffi a warning look. "He knows better. Don't you?"

Baffi huffed and whined, leaning against her and giving her his most innocent look.

"I think we have an understanding." Seladon smirked, and she looked at her suitor again. She patted her lap once more. "Come. You need your rest. Take off your helmet and lower your hood. You'll be more comfortable that way."

"Yes, my lady." He did as she advised, carefully setting his helm down on the cushioned bench opposite to them. He also removed his belt and scabbard to place it with the helmet, and he started to remove his boot knives. He paused and shook his head, deciding against it.

"You can take off your boots as well," encouraged Seladon, assuming he was worried about being rude.

"Best that I keep them on. I should have some weapons within quick, easy reach in case of emergency."

"Ah. That makes sense." Seladon scooted back a little, and she waited for him to lie down on his side. He was tense as he put his head in her lap, and she began to stroke his soft, red-streaked hair in an effort to relax him. They'd held each other many times over the past several days, but this was possibly the most intimate contact yet. She couldn't tell if his tension stemmed from the unrelieved sexual tension between them or his unsteady emotional state.

"Shh," she soothed. "Relax. Close your eyes and try to clear your mind. We're safe."

He sighed, his ear flicking instinctively as she combed the hair away from it with her fingers. She traced the ear, brushing the pad of her thumb against the little nick in it. He hummed softly, his eyes closing, and Seladon smiled.

"Feels good," he mumbled.

Seladon kept caressing the ear between strokes to his hair, and she began to hum. Her singing voice was a bit out of practice, but he didn't seem to mind if she was a little off tune. Seladon hadn't sang since sending the pieces of the living crown off to the six other clans. She'd had no reason to, but now there was music in her heart again.

Baffi nudged her other arm demandingly, apparently jealous of the attention her paladin was getting. Seladon obligingly petted the fizzgig while simultaneously petting her love interest. Eventually both Sly and Baffi fell asleep, but she remained awake and thoughtful, stroking them both comfortingly.

* * *

Sly must have really needed the rest, because he slept until the caravan came to a halt to give their beasts rest, water and food. Seladon had nodded off as well, but she jerked awake when the coach came to a stop and she heard her travel companions calling out orders. She looked down at her paladin's handsome, sleeping face and she was loathe to wake him, but her stomach growled and reminded her that none of them had eaten since dawn.

"Sly," she whispered, gently shaking him. "I'm sorry my love, but you must wake."

Her eyes popped wide at her own words, and her mouth went dry. He stirred and rolled onto his back, blinking his eyes open to look up at her. "Did you just...call me—"

"All Maudra," called the coachman, knocking on the carriage door. "We've stopped for a rest break. You should refresh yourself and stretch your legs while you can."

Seladon had never been more grateful to be interrupted. She could have kissed the gelfling for his timely intervention to an awkward and confusing moment. "Yes," she called out. "I shall join you all shortly. Give me a moment to freshen up."

"Yes, All Maudra. We'll set up a campfire for cooking. Please don't go far without your bodyguard, my lady."

"Of course," she agreed. She helped Sly to sit up, and she fetched his helm and scabbard for him. "Here. You'll want to put these on before leaving the carriage."

"Yes. Thank you." He looked at her quizzically, full of questions. Thankfully he must have sensed her reluctance to talk about her verbal blunder, because he let the matter drop without further commentary. For the first time since he got the news about his father, Seladon thought she detected a tiny hint of a smile on his lips.

Well, if nothing else, her blunder at least served as a source of light in this dark time he was facing. It was worth it to see some of that tragedy fade from his beautiful eyes.

* * *

They stopped in the valley where the farmlands were located first, and Seladon bade everyone save her coachman continue on to Ha'rar.

"But...All Maudra..."

"I have my bodyguard and Baffi to protect me," she insisted. "The survey mission must continue. Continue on to the capitol and gather the information that we need."

"You're certain of this, my lady?" asked the captain of the paladin troupe, showing her concern.

"Absolutely," assured Seladon. She looked at Sly, and she surprised herself by taking one of his hands in hers, holding it publicly for all to see. "This paladin has been unfailingly loyal, steadfast in his duty to my family and our people. The least I can do is offer my support to him and his family in their time of grief. We will meet up with you after completing the rites."

It was the first time she'd openly expressed her interest in him, and Seladon was again surprised to find that she didn't care what people thought. The captain looked down at their clasped hands, blinking, then looked at Seladon again. Others in the party murmured amongst themselves, and some of them nodded as though they'd just been given confirmation of rumors and suspicions.

"I see," stated the captain. She smiled slightly, and there was an approving light in her eyes. "We shall see you in Ha'rar later then, All Maudra. Thra watch over you." She whistled and nodded at one of her fellow paladin. "Leave a land strider behind for Lieutenant Vaurin, just in case he has need of it."

Seladon felt like someone had just punched her in the gut, and she whipped her head around to stare at her paladin. He'd closed his eyes, and he muttered a curse under his breath.

She knew his name. Someone had finally said it out loud, though now that she thought of it, she was likely going to hear it from the lips of his surviving family members when they reached his farm. Still, it was an unexpected revelation. She hadn't told him yet, but while he was sleeping with his head in her lap, she'd come to the decision that she was ready to dreamfast with him. It was just a matter of timing and his answer to one simple question.

"Damn," he whispered.

Seladon squeezed his hand. "Vaurin," she murmured, liking the sound of it. It suited him, she thought.

"Yes," he muttered back, kicking at a pebble on the ground in frustration. "So much for my bargaining chip."

"Let's not worry about that right now," suggested the All Maudra. "Our...complicated arrangement can be dealt with later, after we've guided your father back to the arms of Thra and honored his memory."

He nodded, grief clouding his eyes once more. "My family's farm is northeast of here. If we leave now, we can get there before dark."

One of the paladins rode a land strider over to the carriage and then dismounted. He bowed to Seladon before accepting the invitation to mount up behind one of his fellow paladins on their land strider. The company parted ways with them, and Vaurin made a clicking sound to the land strider, signaling it to follow.

He climbed into the carriage and offered a hand up to Seladon, who took it without hesitation. Baffi hopped inside with them and the coachman got up and set the vehicle into motion. Seeing how pensive her paladin was, Seladon again offered her silent support by holding his hand.

"It changes nothing," she assured him.

"Doesn't it?" He glanced at her sidelong, uncertainly.

"My interest in you isn't based solely on knowing your name. I made a promise to you, and one day I will fulfill it."

He stared at her, and his eyes started to glisten. They didn't well up, but she could see that he was on the verge of crying. She brought his hand to her lips, turned it over and kissed his palm. "I'm here. I'm not going anywhere, Vaurin."

* * *

"Mother...Jermid..."

Seladon stood back as Vaurin reunited with his family. His brother—who looked to be a few trine younger than him—had the same blend of magenta and pink streaks in his hair. He wore it long like his sibling but all one length and tied back on the sides. He wasn't as attractive as Vaurin, but he was still a nice looking male. Vaurin's mother had pale silver hair with purple highlights, and her face was ravaged with grief.

"Son. My boy." The three of them embraced tightly, tearfully, and Seladon felt like an intruder.

After several moments, they broke apart, each of them trying to compose themselves. Now Vaurin's face was wet with the tears he'd been holding back so stubbornly, and he sniffed. He looked over his shoulder at Seladon, and he reached out a hand for her.

"Mother, this is—"

"The All Maudra!" The gelfling woman bowed humbly. "It's an honor to have you in our home, my lady. Forgive me, in my grief I rudely ignored you."

Seladon shook her head, taking her paladin's offered hand. "There isn't anything to forgive. You've suffered a terrible loss, and I'm not offended by your distraction."

"She isn't just the All Maudra," explained Vaurin. His tearful eyes stared into Seladon's. "One day, she'll be my mate...if she'll have me."

Shocked by his boldness, Seladon's tongue felt like it was frozen in her mouth. She finally gave a jerky nod of agreement, speechless that he would make such an announcement without ceremony.

"Bugger," gasped Jermid. "You did it! You actually...er...never mind."

Confused, Seladon watched her paladin shoot his brother a warning glare. It made her wonder just how long Vaurin had been setting his aspirations on her. Longer than she'd thought, apparently.

"Oh my," gasped his mother, putting a hand against her chest. "Am I going to be related to royalty? Are paladins even _allowed_ to partner with nobility?"

"It isn't unheard of," Seladon answered, "though traditionally women in my position are expected to seek mates of similar social standing. I don't think any of that matters anymore, though. If we allow status to dictate whom we partner up with, we'll fail to provide future generations for our people."

She looked at the male whose hand she was holding. The old Seladon would have been vexed by his decision to basically announce her as his wife before she'd even agreed to it, but she was seeing so many things with different eyes now. Yes, he'd put her on the spot, but she herself had promised to commit to him, and Seladon knew that he'd spoiled her for any other men.

"When the time is right, I'll be honored to call your son my mate and husband. I know the timing of this is inappropriate, but—"

"Nonsense," piped up the grieving mother. "This news is a blessing in the face of our tragedy, All Maudra. I just wish my beloved was alive to hear it. He would be so proud."

"Have you set a date?" asked Jermid.

"Er, not exactly," answered Vaurin, scratching the back of his head. "There are things that need to be done before we finalize it."

Seladon nodded, grateful that he was being discreet about the conditions of their arrangement. "Yes, there are matters to take care of first; one such matter being the funeral rites for your father."

"Where is he?" Vaurin asked of his mother, his expression dropping into somberness once more.

"Being prepared for the ceremony," she answered. Her breath caught and she wiped at her eyes. "He was found...in very bad condition, son."

The air grew thick with silence. Even the seemingly impulsive Jermid was subdued, and he watched his older brother like he was begging him to make everything all right.

"Tell me," said Vaurin at last. "I want to know every detail you can spare. Was it an accident, or did something attack him?"

"Something attacked him," answered his mother. "Nearly ripped him in half, and...and..." she started to cry again, covering her eyes with shaking hands.

"Come," Seladon suggested, releasing her paladin's hand to guide his bereaved mother to the rocking chair in the corner of the common area. "Sit and rest. We'll get you some water to sip on."

Jermid was already going into the little kitchen area connecting to the living room to retrieve a drink for his mother. He was crying as well when he came back, but not as hard as she was.

"He was in the forest at the foot of the mountains," provided Jermid, "gathering wild berries and nuts for the stew Mother was going to cook that night. Something jumped him. W-when he didn't return, I went out searching for him and found him like that. Tried to wake him b-but he was...already gone..."

Vaurin embraced his brother as Jermid's composure broke down completely. "Shh, there now. You couldn't have done anything, understand? It wasn't your fault, little brother."

"Has the citadel sent anyone to investigate?" Seladon asked. She squeezed their mother's shoulders in silent support, heart heavy with sympathy for the family.

"They are supposed to send someone tomorrow," answered the older female. She sighed and shook her head. "But...the death of one commoner isn't high on their priority list."

Seladon narrowed her eyes. Once upon a time, she would have agreed with that sentiment. Not so now. "_Every_ gelfling life is a priority. Status is what should come secondary in these dark times. I'm here now, and I'll personally see to it that a proper and full investigation takes place. That is my promise to you and your family."

The widow looked up at her tearfully, and she grasped Seladon's hands in hers. "Oh, thank you, All Maudra. Thra surely smiles on your grace and nobility!"

"My duty is to our people," Seladon told her gently, "and I won't shirk it. From the poorest gelfling to the wealthiest, every life must be held sacred."

Vaurin released his brother, staring at her. He crossed the short distance between them and without warning, he cupped her face in his hands and kissed Seladon on the lips. He then embraced her, and his tears smeared against her skin as he nuzzled her cheek and whispered brokenly into her ear.

"You are my light."

Seladon closed her eyes, feeling her own tears threatening. She hugged him back, and she thought of how ironic this was. She'd vowed to be a light in the darkness to her people when she took up position as All Maudra, though she'd had a very different expectation of how she would achieve that, back then.

* * *

Vaurin demonstrated that even he had limits to his patience. When the coroners arrived with his father's prepared body, he lifted the sheet covering the deceased from the chest down. Seladon caught a glimpse of the body and she had to suppress a gasp. They'd done a good job stitching him up, but the damage was extensive. The diagonal death wound snaked around the torso from one side of his ribcage to the other. Judging by the misshapen jags under the graying skin, several ribs had been shattered in the attack.

Vaurin's mother wasn't exaggerating when she'd described the condition her mate had been found in, and Seladon felt another wave of pity for Vaurin's brother, who was only a trine or so away from being classified as a childling. The trauma he must have felt had to be at least equal to what Seladon and Brea experienced when that murderous skeksis slashed their mother open.

"I can't wait for someone else to investigate," announced Vaurin tensely. He dropped the sheet and looked back at his family and Seladon, his eyes blazing with purpose and grief. "I need to see for myself. Jermid, can you hold it together long enough to show me where you found him? I don't expect you to stay, but I want to look around myself."

"I...yes, of course," sniffed the younger brother. "Whenever you're ready."

"I'll accompany you," said Seladon.

"No, my lady." Her paladin shook his head, and he checked his weapons. "Whatever did this to him could still be in the area. I won't put your safety at risk."

"I can defend myself," she reminded, putting her hand on the hilt of the dirk she kept on her person. "I fought by your side against the Skeksis. I'm no helpless maiden."

He faltered, looking torn. "But—"

"Besides," Seladon went on, "I can provide aerial surveillance of the location. From the sky, I might be able to spot things that might escape notice on the ground."

Baffi was at her feet, and he growled and yipped as if reminding them that he had his uses too. Seladon bent over to scoop the fizzgig up. "And we have this stubborn little ball of fuzz. I've seen for myself that his bite is indeed worse than his bark."

The uncertainty faded from his eyes, and he carefully reached out to give Baffi a scratch on the head. The one-eyed fizzgig showed his approval by nudging into the paladin's touch with a purring sound.

"All right. Together, then." The paladin met her eyes, and his gaze sharpened. "However, I'm going to demand that you run at the first sign of danger. There's no room for argument, my lady. If I tell you to run, you do it. Agreed?"

Seladon's first instinct was to bristle. After all, she was All Maudra and he was under her command. However, she could see how fiercely he wanted to protect her. She swallowed her pride and gave a regal nod of her head.

"Of course, my paladin."

Her answer seemed satisfying enough. He excused himself to go and retrieve his helmet from inside the house, and he bore an expression of firm resolve on his face when he emerged from the house again.

"All right. We'll have to go on foot, as the rocky terrain and undergrowth will be difficult for my land strider to navigate. Mother, we'll return shortly."

"Please be careful," she begged, hugging both of her sons close. "I've already lost your father. I can't lose my boys as well."

"I'll send Jermid back as soon as he shows me where Father was found," promised Vaurin. "I don't want him in danger anymore than you do. He needn't stay any longer than necessary."

"If the monster that killed our father is still in the area," stated Jermid with passion, "then I want to fight it by your side."

"You'll do as you're told," countered Vaurin firmly, "and that's the end of it. One of us needs to be close to look after Mother while I search for clues."

The younger male sighed. "All right."

* * *

There was still a trail of dried blood on the ground when they reached the clearing in the forest where Jermid had found his father. Vaurin bade him return home once there, and he barked a sharp reminder at his sibling when the younger male started to protest.

"Go back to Mother," insisted the paladin. "She needs you, and you promised to leave this to me and the All Maudra."

Jermid sighed. "All right, but don't get killed on me."

"I'll try not to," answered the paladin dryly. "Now go. We'll handle things from here."

The younger brother left then, backtracking from the direction they'd come from. Once he was out of sight, Seladon offered a suggestion. "Give me a boost, and I'll scout the area from the skies."

He nodded and without a word, he knelt down to present his back to her. Seladon took a running leap off of him, as she'd done at the start of the battle at Stone in the Wood. Her wings spread and fluttered, and she spiraled up past the gnarled branches of the trees. She glanced down to see him watching her from the ground, and then the canopy blocked her sight of him.

She couldn't see or hear her companion below, but that didn't surprise her. He was so light on his feet that even without the wind rushing in her ears, she doubted she could have detected his movements. Trusting him to stay safe and alert, trusting Baffi to help defend him against any trouble, she began to circle over the terrain.

In the distance to the east, Seladon could see webbing stretching between the highest tree branches. An Arathim nest must be somewhere close, she reasoned. A frown tugged at her lips. Jermid hadn't mentioned any evidence of the sticky secretions on his father when he found him, but...

She then spotted something that caught her attention. Seladon pulled up short and hovered in mid-air, peering down at the forest below. Black as pitch against the undergrowth, the object resembled a large talon or claw.

"What in Thra?"

Seladon swooped down and came to a landing beside it. She eyeballed the object closely, her brow tense with concentration. "Sly...ah, Vaurin! Come to me, I've found something!"

Apparently her paladin's stealth was only as good as his mood. She heard twigs snapping and the rustle of leaves. He came charging through the woods with both swords drawn and ready, and Seladon winced, hoping to Thra he wouldn't trip on a root or something and impale himself.

"What is it?" he demanded, skidding to a halt before her and looking around urgently. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," she assured him, placing a hand on his tense shoulder. She nodded down at her discovery. "Look. I spotted this from the air. It...looks like..."

He looked down at the claw, and his expression went still and cold. "Spitter." He sheathed his blades and squatted next to it, lifting it by the curved tip to examine it. "There's gelfling blood on it, too. Those cursed creatures! There must be a nest."

He stood up, eyes wild with anger and vengeance. "They betrayed our alliance. I'll kill every last one of—"

"Stop," commanded Seladon, alarmed. She squeezed his shoulders, trying to gain his attention. "Wait. Something isn't right about this."

"What do you mean? We have the proof right here!"

Seladon looked down at the claw again, and she couldn't shake the feeling of _wrongness_ in her heart. His rage was even more disturbing to her. She knew that rage, had felt it herself and let it poison her heart. She cupped his face in her hands.

"Look at me. _Look at me!_"

His eyes finally met hers, blazing with righteous anger.

"Don't," warned Seladon intensely, "take this path. I've just found you. Don't go away from me now. Don't make my mistakes, sweet paladin. I'm begging you to quiet your fury and think."

Baffi was jumping up and down, barking and whining in confusion. Seladon shushed the fizzgig. "I'm all right. He isn't going to hurt me."

"N-never," agreed the paladin. "I...would never harm you."

"Then listen to my words," encouraged Seladon. "If you withdraw from me, you hurt me."

He calmed. The thought of hurting her in any way was apparently the only thing that could get through to him. Seladon took advantage of his hesitation, glancing down at the piece of carapace swiftly.

"It's too bulky to be from a spitter," she explained. "Their limbs are more slender. It would have to be an Arathim of abnormal proportions for this to have come from one of them."

He looked as well, breathing heavily. "Then...what? It's the same shape, same color. I can't think of any other creature on Thra that it could have belonged to."

Seladon honestly had no answer for that, and she admitted to it. "I don't know. We need to investigate further before jumping to conclusions, though. We're already at war with the Skeksis, and we can't afford to make enemies from allies without definite proof."

He closed his eyes, shuddered and nodded. "I trust in your wisdom. Let's look further into it."

* * *

They found another piece of carapace several feet away from the first one, down the hill, and a third after that. Segmented legs, armor plates, all in a trail as if the creature they came from had literally fallen to pieces as it left the scene of the killing. The couple came to a stop down by the ravine near a fresh water brook. Seladon stared down at the final piece they came across, and her paladin was equally horrified and perplexed.

"Seladon, wait," he cautioned when she bent over to pick the item up.

She continued, though it was a repulsive task. It was heavy, and she grunted as she lifted it off the ground.

"I think it's a head," she surmised. It stank of rot, and there was a dull, residual glow in what she assumed was a pair of beady eyes. The head was about the same size as a spitter's head, but small in proportion to the other remains they'd found. "It isn't alive."

He made a choking sound as the stench overpowered his more acute sense of smell. "I think...I'm going to be sick."

Seladon dropped the skull and rushed to his side when Vaurin turned away and bent over, gagging. Helpless to do anything to help him, she rubbed his back while he fought the nausea spell off.

"We should send word to the citadel," suggested Seladon while he took deep, calming breaths. "Mark this location and have this evidence gathered up and studied. Vaurin, this creature was no Arathim. We need answers."

He burped into his hand, swallowed a few times and nodded. "Agreed."

"Then let's get going. You're looking quite green."

"It...stinks," he choked. "Oh Thra, forgive me but..."

Seladon hastily stepped back as her noble paladin puked all over the ground. She would definitely send female candidates to collect these remains. Males ordinarily had an advantage in their sharper olfactory senses, but this clearly wasn't one of those cases.

* * *

-To be continued


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all, time for another update! I'm not sure how I feel about how the dreamfasting sequence turned out. I re-wrote it twice, edited some parts out, added others in. I just hope it flows well enough and the use of italics help smooth out possible confusion. 
> 
> (Poor Vaurin has arachnophobia, lol! I can relate to that.)

The remains of the creature suspected to have killed Vaurin's father were gathered up and taken to the citadel for study. While this was going on, the funeral ceremony for the paladin's father commenced. Seladon stood by in respectful silence while her paladin's family and friends shared their insights of the deceased.

She learned his name was Vahl, and he'd been well-loved by neighbors and family alike. His eldest son favored him the most in looks, she thought as she observed the rites and studied the face of the deceased. Same freckle pattern, same bronze skin tone with a hint of green in it. The farmer looked at peace, and one could only hope that his death had been quick enough that he hadn't suffered for long.

When the time came for Vaurin to speak, her focus sharpened and she listened to every word and inflection he spoke.

"Father was a hard worker," said Vaurin. "He worked this land and provided for his family with the sweat off his back. He could be hard on my brother and I—"

Jermid nodded with agreement, standing close to his older brother's side.

"—But he was fair. He never asked anything of us that he wasn't willing to do himself, and he raised us to respect our clan, to love Thra and to love one another. I...I couldn't have asked for a better father. Not in a thousand trine."

Several of the assembled grievers nodded, and Vaurin's mother broke into fresh weeping. Seladon took a shaky breath, wishing for all the world that she'd given her mother a eulogy like this. A gelfling in ceremonial garb approached Vaurin, whose tears were now flowing freely. He offered him a small urn of stained glass and patted him on the arm. As the eldest son, it was Vaurin's responsibility to lead the dirge and send him off to Thra.

"Thank you, Elder," whispered the paladin. He placed the urn on his father's still chest, and he sniffed. "All of you, please join me in song. This day, a great man returns to the arms of our life giver."

He began to sing then, and his voice was husky with emotion. All the same, Seladon thought he had a lovely singing voice. It was the first time she'd heard him use it. She was among the first to join in, lending all of her passion and feeling to the dirge. Jermid and his mother added their voices to it, and before long, the air was humming with baritone, soprano and alto voices joined in harmony with each other.

The urn began to glow, and pieces of the stained glass popped out. The container started to spin, lifting off of its host and ascending slowly into the air. It spun and spun, reflecting beams of light as it went higher and higher. All eyes watched it until it eventually flew out of sight, carrying with it the memories of those who knew its host and their loving wishes.

The singing died down, and Vaurin went to one knee before the table his father's remains were resting on. He bowed his head and drew his primary sword, kissing the blade. "I make this promise to you, Father. I will watch over Mother and Jermid, protect them no matter the cost. Rest now in the arms of Thra."

Now blinded by tears, Seladon hardly felt her fizzgig companion nudging against her foot. Her paladin looked like something out of a tapestry to her, a persona of ancient gelfling valiance and honor. She knew her feelings for him were dramatizing her perspective, but in that moment, she would have challenged anyone that tried to contradict her.

It was time. Time to end this torment, this waiting. The setting wasn't ideal, but she could work around that.

* * *

They shared a meal after the funeral rights and burial. Though everyone was silent, it was a peaceful sort of quiet. Sending their loved one off to Thra had healed some of the pain in the family's hearts, though the question of what sort of creature had killed him still loomed in the background. Seladon assisted with cleaning up after the meal, and she graciously accepted when Vaurin's mother offered his old bedroom to her.

"I'm afraid it isn't quite the luxury fit for royalty," she explained, "but the bed is soft and clean. The boys can sleep together in Jermid's room."

"Thank you," said Seladon, though in truth, she didn't intend to be in that room for most of the night. "I will make sure that your needs are seen to from this day forward."

"My lady, there's no need—"

"Our lands are suffering blight," reminded Seladon, "and though your fields seem to be fruitful now, you and your youngest son may find it hard to manage them on your own. Please, let me do this for you. It would be my honor."

The older female sighed, and she nodded. She looked to her eldest son, who was sitting at the table talking to his brother. "He's seen little else but you since he was old enough to notice girls, you know. His father and I thought it would pass and he would eventually come to his senses, but it just goes to show how determined my son is."

Again, one of her paladin's family members had suggested a long-time crush bordering on obsession. Seladon's curiosity reared up again. Why, if he'd wanted her for this long, had he waited until recently to begin a courtship? Why did he persist in his silly games if he was so desperate to call her his own?

"Ugh, I'm starting to think like Brea," she muttered.

"What was that, dear?"

Realizing she'd accidentally spoken her thoughts aloud, Seladon tried to explain herself without going into too much detail. "My younger sister. She's usually the one filled with questions."

The older woman smiled at her, though the expression was laced with sadness. "I imagine you have a few about my son. I shouldn't have said anything."

"I think my questions will be answered soon enough," predicted Seladon. She finished scrubbing off the pot, and she set it aside to dry. "Please excuse me."

She wiped her hands off on the towel hanging on a hook on the wall, and she went over to the table. She waited until her paladin paused his conversation to look up at her inquisitively, and then she bent over to speak into his ear.

"Meet me at the carriage after dark tonight. After everyone is asleep."

He blinked at her, expressing curiosity and uncertainty. "As you wish."

Trusting him to make an appearance as agreed, Seladon tried to calm the jittery feeling in her belly. This was it. The final task she had to complete to achieve her goal and have a chance at true happiness. She could only hope she didn't lose courage and ruin her chance.

* * *

The moons had reached their peak and were beginning their descent lower on the horizon. Seladon fidgeted within the carriage. Her driver was sleeping in the barn and Baffi was inside the house, on the bed that apparently used to be Vaurin's. Seladon admonished herself for being so vague about when to meet up, and she worried her paladin might have fallen asleep. She highly doubted he would forget about the meeting.

Her eyelids started to grow heavy as the moments passed, and she started to wonder if she needed to go back to the house and risk knocking on the window of the room he was sharing with her brother. Just as she started to slide off of the seat, she heard a rapping at the carriage door. Her heart leaped in her breast and she lunged for the handle to open it.

Standing in the moonlight looking up at her was her red paladin. His lips parted as she swung the carriage door open, and then he swallowed. Seladon motioned for him to join her, and he glanced around before climbing in. Vaurin closed the door and looked at her, his eyes glittering with questions. His head was bare and he was dressed in a simple tunic and breeches, but she could see the glint of his boot daggers. Always prepared for danger, always prepared to defend.

"I have only one question for you," Seladon told him, "and I want you to speak true when you answer."

He nodded, locking gazes with her. Seladon took a calming breath and summoned up all her courage.

"Do you love—"

"Yes."

Her mouth hung open in mid-speak. "Just like that? You didn't even allow me to finish. Don't you want to consider your answer before giving it?"

He gave her a tragic, pained little smirk and he shook his head. "There's nothing to consider, Seladon. Yes, I love you. I have for several trine now, only it's much stronger now than it once was."

Drawing breath was now painful to her. It felt like a giant hand was squeezing her, like she had a stone caught in her throat. Seladon gulped, and she raised a trembling hand, palm up. "Show me," she managed to rasp, "and in return, I'll show you my darkest shame. If you can still say those words and mean them after that, I'm yours."

He didn't argue with her. In fact, she hardly got to finish speaking before he pressed his open palm against her own.

Seladon was flooded with memories that weren't her own, going further back than she could have expected.

* * *

"The princesses are coming! Come and see, Vaurin! It's rare for them to come down into the village."

The young male grumbled, disinterested. His mother came up behind him and poked him, interrupting his efforts to solve the ring puzzle he was working on. "Come along! This may be your only chance to see them."

"All right, Mother." He pushed the puzzle aside reluctantly, and he ruffled his little brother's hair in passing. "Wait 'till you get bigger. Enjoy your freedom to play when you like, squirt."

"I'll watch over him while you go into the square," offered Vaurin's father in regards to the youngest child. "Run along then, and have your fun."

Vaurin sighed and rolled his eyes as his parents embraced and kissed. They were always _doing_ things like that. He was surprised he didn't have another sibling by now, the way they went at each other.

"Can we just go?" he pressed. "I would like to get this over with, Mother."

"Of course, darling. We should arrive just on time!"

They made their way on foot from the farm then, and he noticed along the way that several of their neighbors were heading in the same direction from their own fields.

"Hmph. What's the big deal?" he muttered. "Are these princesses going to throw jewels to the crowd or something?"

"Possibly," chuckled his mother, "but I think everyone just wants the chance to see them, and perhaps get a blessing from the All Maudra. It's always good luck to show our gratitude for her leadership, son. Hurry along, now! Stop dragging your feet!"

He groaned and picked up the pace. Some time later they arrived in the village center, and it seemed the noble family was already there, going by the cheers from the crowd. Vaurin, despite his resentment at being dragged off to be party to this, found himself curious. He couldn't see over the heads of the full-grown gelfling in his way; all he could see were the banners with the clan sigil waving in the air.

Frustrated, he climbed up onto the well so that he could get a better vantage point. One of his friends from down the road apparently had the same idea.

"Hi Vaurin! Great minds think alike!"

He glanced at Ordahn, who was a bit taller than him. "I just want to see what all the fuss is about. Mother dragged me here, so I should at least get a decent view for my troubles." He put a hand against the cover of the well and stretched up on his tip-toes. "All I can see is the blasted guards."

"They're spreading out," Ordahn informed him. "Oh, I see one of the princesses! Now I can see her sister, too!"

Vaurin hopped a little, nearly falling off the side of the well. He muttered a curse and steadied himself before having another look.

And that was when he saw her. That was the moment he felt the first stirrings of something he'd always heard about but had never experienced before. He saw the younger sister as well, but his attention stayed glued on the eldest one. Her hair was like a silver waterfall cascading down her back, highlighted with gentle lilac hues. Her features were uniquely beautiful, with a slim nose and plush lips. Her eyes weren't wide and round like many girls he'd seen, but narrow and mysterious.

His stomach did a queer little flip, and a thrill shot through him to his very toes. Suddenly Vaurin was producing too much saliva in his mouth, yet his throat ached as if parched. The girl had her wings on display; beautifully gossamer, reflective and dazzling in the sunlight.

He heard his mother yelling, and then he lost sight of the princess as the cobbled street rushed up to meet him. He'd fallen flat off the well, and the impact of his fall painfully jolted him out of his stupor.

"Vaurin, are you all right?"

Dizzy, he let his mother help him up. His face was hot with embarrassment, but fortunately everyone nearby was so distracted by the appearance of the royal family that he hadn't drawn much attention to himself.

"I'm fine, Mother."

But he wasn't fine. He'd just been literally knocked off his feet by the mere sight of a girl, and that confused him terribly.

* * *

_"That was my first sight of you,"_ said her companion's voice in Seladon's thoughts. _"That was when I started to understand what made adult males act like such idiots around females."_

In her head, she chuckled. _"I can't be the only woman you were ever interested in."_

_"No, but you were always in my thoughts after that. I had my dalliances—"_

_"Please don't share those memories with me."_

His dream voice huffed with amusement. _"I don't intend to, and I hope you'll extend the courtesy to me when it's your turn. Now, I want to show you a few more things, Seladon."_

_"All right. I'm very interested to see where this goes next."_

* * *

The next memory flashed into being; this time one that took place nearly a full trine later. Vaurin was with his parents at the tithing ceremony. It was his first time to attend one, and Vapra from all corners of the land waited in line at the citadel to pay their respects to the Lords of the Crystal. While he understood the importance of the event, in truth he was only there for the chance to lay eyes on the bewitching Princess Seladon again.

He wanted to see if the sight of her still had the same effect on him as the last time. He'd kissed a few girls since then. He'd even come close to joining with one of them, if not for his pesky brother interrupting their activities in the family barn.

Surely now that he had some experience with girls, he could...could...

Princess Seladon came into view, joining her mother's side at the throne. Princess Tavra stepped up beside her but once again, Vaurin's attention fixated on the former of the two. She was even more radiant than the last time he'd seen her. Her features had matured some. Her cheekbones were more pronounced and the delicate feminine curves were more obvious. She had outgrown the girlish features he remembered and was now a woman. She now had intricate thin braids plated through her thick tresses, and he wished she would display her wings as she had the last time.

"Son. Vaurin! The line is moving."

He felt a nudge from his father. On suddenly shaking legs, Vaurin pushed the cart of harvested produce forward, and he winced when he accidentally ran it into the back of the gelfling in front of him.

"Sorry!"

"Watch what you're doing, Freckles!" snapped the older male irritably.

"I'm sorry," Vaurin said again with a sigh, having grown used to people using his skin markings as an insult. "It was an accident."

"The cart is heavy," excused Vaurin's father. "No need to be so hard on my boy."

"It's all right, Father," muttered the embarrassed redhead.

His father harrumphed, but he let it go. Vaurin's eyes latched onto Princess Seladon again, and his mouth went dry. He was going to be within arm's reach of her when they made it to the head of the queue. Maybe he could reach out and touch her hair...

"What are you staring at, boy?" whispered his father, and then he traced Vaurin's gaze to Seladon. "Oh, I see."

"I'm not staring!"

"Oooh, look at how red your face is getting," chuckled the older male. "Nothing wrong with admiring a pretty girl, son. Just keep a clear enough head not to entertain false hopes."

That got Vaurin's attention, and he looked at his father quizzically. "What does that mean?"

His father sighed. "It means that princesses don't take farmers as their mates, my boy. Listen to my advice, and you'll be a happier gelfling for it. You can enjoy watching the moons and stars, but you can't reach them, can you?"

"Well no, but—"

"That princess is the same way," interrupted his father sternly. "Might be beautiful to look at, but she's far out of your reach. You're best off keeping to the girls you've been carrying on with than setting your sights on that one."

Vaurin sighed. Sometimes their world could be terribly cruel.

* * *

He shared more memories with her after that; memories of the time he'd seen her playing with her little sister Brea. He'd been on his way to the citadel with a crop report for the consensus. He'd caught sight of Seladon babysitting Brea, who had only been a toddler at the time. That was the first time he'd heard her laugh, seen her smile.

He shared the memory of another time when he'd come across her at the brook. Seladon had disguised herself to slip out of the citadel and escape her duties, and he'd been passing by when he heard her crying, overcome by the pressure she was under and her fears that nothing she could do would ever be good enough to please her mother.

That was the moment Vaurin chose to volunteer his services as a paladin. He was still small compared to many boys his age, but fortunately, size wasn't so much a factor for duty as agility and skill. If he could never court the princess, he would be content to serve as one of her protectors. She, her sisters and her mother. He would be more than just a freckle-faced farmer.

* * *

As she witnessed one recollection after the other, Seladon began to understand that what started off as boyish infatuation had grown into true dedication and love. She saw herself through his eyes, and one particular memory made her gasp. It was a memory of herself, Tavra and Brea when all three of them were of age. They were nude and frolicking in a spring together. It was odd to see it from his perspective; she could see the fringe of his bangs obscuring part of the view. He seemed to be watching from the bushes.

_"You...you were peeping!"_

_"No, I was...well, all right, I did peep a little, but not on purpose. The three of you snuck off with no bodyguards, so I followed. I wanted to ensure your safety. Wait and you'll see."_

She withheld judgment, though she felt violated to know that he'd watched her and her sisters without their consent or knowledge. Her umbrage faded when the perspective shifted. He'd turned his back on the spectacle in the memory, and she could hear him muttering under his breath.

"Don't look. Don't look."

The scene shifted, and she heard a smack and felt a sting on her cheek. He'd slapped himself.

"Stop it," Vaurin scolded himself.

There was a flash of alarm through the dreamfast link suddenly, and Seladon didn't even get the chance to question it before the perspective shifted quickly. There was a poisonous creature slithering toward the spring where the Seladon and her sisters in the memory were playing. Vaurin stooped over, and she saw his hand flick with lightning speed. The reed snake—she now recognized what it was—didn't make it anywhere near the water. A shiny knife impaled it in place, wobbling in the afternoon light.

The Vaurin in the memory crept soundlessly over to his kill, retrieved his knife and then returned to his post; again turning his back on the gelfling sisters. Vaurin stayed until they had enough of their playing, and he waited until all three of them were dressed and safely on their way back to the citadel before leaving himself.

_"We had no idea of the danger we could have been in,"_ Seladon remarked, awed. _"No idea you were even there!"_

_"Like I said; I made it my mission to ensure your safety."_

* * *

The final memory he shared with her was shameful to behold, and it tore open old wounds. Seladon saw herself in the cell with other gelfling in the Castle of the Crystal. She was dressed in the gown she'd fashioned to impress the Skeksis, the one of cobalt and dark violet colors. She knew exactly when this memory occurred, and she was shocked to have it displayed for her from his perspective.

He'd been standing right behind her when she'd argued with Brea from behind the bars of their separate cells. She'd been so traumatized by having the truth so brutally revealed to her, and then to be dragged by her hair from the audience chamber and thrown into the cell with her people to join their intended fate. She hadn't even realized her paladin was there, and she was further confused as she watched the scene unfold.

_"You were under the control of one of those small Arathim, though! Everyone was, except for Brea and myself. How could you have any memory of this?"_

_"I was under its control, but aware enough to understand what was happening around me. I have no memory before this one of what happened to me after the creature attached itself. I think seeing you thrown in there with us jostled me just enough to see and hear, but not act."_

Fascinated and horrified at once, Seladon heard her own damning words echoing back to her. She heard herself blame her sister for all of it, heard herself argue that the deaths of a few gelfling was acceptable if it could assure the safety of many.

_"Vaurin, I don't want to see this."_

A throb of tender sympathy came through their link, but he didn't relent. _"You need to, my lady. Just a little longer."_

Though caught up in the dreamfast, she could feel the tears spilling down her face. Something happened within the memory that gave Seladon pause and shook her even further. Vaurin's hand came into view, reaching for her. It was trembling, and she could feel his raw inner struggle. At first she thought he meant to strangle her for her betrayal, but then she heard his thoughts at that moment as clearly as if he'd spoken them.

"If I could...only touch...her hair. Tell her it will be all right..."

* * *

The dreamfast ended with that, and Seladon fell back in the carriage seat with a choked gasp. She was shaking all over, and beside her, Vaurin appeared equally afflicted. There were tears in his eyes as he looked at her, and his arms went around her.

"Did you see?"

Seladon nodded, clutching at him. "Why? Why would you want me after that? You directly witnessed me showing my willingness to sacrifice the lives of our people! You heard me put the blame for all of it on anyone except myself, and yet your only coherent thoughts were _still_ of comforting me."

"Because I don't see you as a star or a moon," he explained to her. "You're flawed like the rest of us. I would be lying if I said I approved of the path you chose back then, Seladon. I never hated you for it, though. I felt sorrow for you."

"So you pitied me."

He lowered his gaze. "Sorrow and pity aren't necessarily the same things. I could protect you from reed snakes, I could try to protect you from the Skeksis, but I can't protect you from yourself. That was the hardest thing for me to come to terms with while I was struggling against the mind control of that creature."

"And...you still want me?"

He kissed her. "I do. I need you to do one last thing for me, though."

"What is that? Guess the name of your twelve grandfather next?"

He chuckled at her sarcasm. "No. We're done with the name riddles. I just want you to share one memory with me, as agreed. I've seen through dreamfasting with your sister Brea and my own memories what happened to your mother, and where the horrors you witnessed took you. What I haven't seen yet is what happened before they threw you in that cell with us."

She shook her head, her self-loathing rearing up again. "Vaurin, I can't. I know I said that I would, but I don't think I can bear it. Any memory besides that. Please."

His eyes were full of sympathy on her. "I know it's a lot to ask. I've shown you some of the most embarrassing memories of what inspired me to become a paladin in the first place. I'd sooner forget some of them, because I was rather pathetic."

"No, you were very sweet," she objected. "You could have taken advantage that day at the spring and gazed upon my sisters and I freely, without anyone being the wiser. Instead you behaved honorably and defended us against danger we didn't even know was there. The memory you want me to share is that of a monster!"

He cupped her tearful face in his hands. "Seladon, I already know what you tried to offer the Skeksis. It doesn't change the way I feel about you. I want you to share your _pain_ with me. Lance the wound. It's been festering long enough."

Her breath hitched, and as he kissed her tears away like he'd promised to always do, she understood that there really was no choice. If she refused, she would fail to prove her trust in him. If she did as he asked, she might lose him.

"Trust me," he whispered pleadingly, staring at her. He held up his right hand. "Let it go, Seladon."

She closed her eyes, and she nodded. It was almost like she was about to step off a cliff, but the difference was that she had him to catch her. Just before their hands made contact, she opened her eyes and looked at him.

"I love you, no matter how this turns out. I need you to know that."

He hesitated for just a moment, his eyes lighting up with happiness. He closed in for another kiss. "I've got you, my lady, and I love you."

* * *

It was torture to relive those terrible moments when Seladon realized there would be absolutely no compromising for the safety of her people. Not even her sisters. It was a living nightmare, and the only thing worse than hearing the Emperor say "no" after her third, desperate request was the knowledge that she was the ultimate traitor to all gelfling. Not even the fear of oblivion could equal that pain.

It felt like the memory went on longer than it actually did. When it reached the part where she was tossed into the cell with her red paladin and the other gelfling under Arathim control, he ended the contact.

Strong arms encircled her, pulling her into his lap. Seladon was sobbing wretchedly, and she felt the dampness of his answering tears on his face as he nuzzled her. Vaurin didn't say anything, possibly because he too was choked up with emotion. He simply rocked her and held her tightly, stroking her hair comfortingly.

"D-don't try to excuse me," she whimpered.

"I wasn't going to," he answered huskily. "It's done, my lady."

"You...still love me?"

"Perhaps even more than I did before."

It was more than Seladon could have asked for of anyone, especially someone she wanted as a mate. She wondered if she's stumbled into a dream, if she'd wake up in the morning to find that none of this had been real and in reality, this valiant gelfling hated her guts.

"How is it that you're so perfect?"

"There you go again," he said, wiping some lingering tears from the corner of his right eye. "The only thing I'm perfect at is being single-minded. My brother thought I was mad to entertain the slightest hope you'd notice me."

"Is that why he said what he did when you announced our courtship?"

He nodded. "Yes, and I could have throttled him for opening his mouth."

Seladon cuddled up to him, resting her cheek on his shoulder. He smelled nice, and his hair was soft against her face. "I wish I'd known about your interest in me sooner."

"Would it have made a difference, given the pressures you were facing and everything that's happened?"

She frowned. "That's an interesting question. Perhaps I wasn't _meant_ to know until my eyes were opened. I might not have appreciated you the way I do now."

He kissed the crown of her hair. "I like the way you're looking at it. So, should we retire? It's late and there's a lot to do tomorrow."

While she agreed that they had a full day ahead of them, she was in no hurry to leave his embrace. The strange carapace remains they'd found in the woods were being studied, and perhaps by morning there might be some answers. She also needed to meet up with the rest of their travel group and go over their reports of the status of the realm.

Sleeping alone in the bed her paladin used to call his own wasn't nearly as appealing to her as sleeping in his arms, though. Both of them were too emotionally drained to pair bond or exchange bodily pleasure, but neither did she want to be parted from him.

"I want to stay here with you," Seladon decided. "We can turn down the seats to make a pallet. They're designed that way for longer journeys. I'm sure we can both fit quite comfortably together."

"Mmm, I like that suggestion."

Together, they arranged the inside of the carriage to better accommodate sleeping arrangements. There were pillows but no blanket, so Seladon covered them both up with her cloak once they got settled in and snuggled up to each other. Hip to hip and chest to chest, the couple stared into each others' eyes for a while, exchanging caresses, nuzzles and little squeezes of affection.

Seladon did feel lighter now. Her regrets would probably remain with her for the rest of her days, but her paladin was right; sharing with him was like purging an infection.

* * *

The next morning, they joined Vaurin's family in the house for breakfast. Baffi was already gobbling away at a plate set down for him, and the widow gave the couple a knowing little smile when they came in from outside, rather than their respective bedrooms.

"I know you can't stay," she told them, ushering them both to the table, "but don't leave on an empty stomach."

"Are you going to talk to the researchers?" asked Jermid after swallowing a bite of porridge.

"Yes." Vaurin accepted a bowl from his mother with quiet thanks, and then he went on to explain as he stirred the porridge to cool it. "That's to be our first stop of the day. Afterwards we'll meet up with our travel companions in the citadel to hear their reports."

"What happens after that?" asked his mother. She joined them at the table with her own bowl of breakfast.

"It depends on what information we receive," Seladon answered. "First we need to learn what we can about the remains of the creature your son and I found in the forest. If there is some new threat in our territory, it must be addressed."

"Could it be the Darkening?" wondered Jermid. "What if the pieces you found _were_ from Arathim, but changed somehow by the blight, like the animals that have gone mad?"

"That's a possibility," agreed Seladon. "We'll know more once we speak to our researchers about it. As for the rest, I plan to send some of our clan mates home from Stone in the Wood if reports are favorable enough."

"Let's hope so," sighed the widow. "There hasn't been any threats or attacks from the skeksis. Maybe now that they know we can band together to defend ourselves, they'll leave us in peace."

Seladon exchanged a quick, grim look with Vaurin, but neither of them had the heart to dash his mother's hopes with ugly reality. Things were quiet for now, but it was like the calm before a storm. Skeksis weren't likely to relinquish their hold on the Crystal or the creatures of Thra. Whatever their motivations were for doing it, they'd upset the natural order and had become desperate enough to harvest their own subjects for their sick consumption of essence.

There was little doubt in Seladon's mind that the tyrants were up to something, and she wondered how much time the gelfling had before the next move was made.

* * *

The news they received upon visiting the research chambers wasn't heartening. The head researcher showed Seladon and her paladin to the examination room, where the pieces of their find the day before had been gathered up and laid out. Seladon frowned as she looked at the selection laid out on the tables. The head of the creature was there, as were a couple of unidentified carapace plates and a claw. There should have been more of it.

"Did they miss some of it?" asked Seladon. "I recall seeing more remains than this."

"No, All Maudra," explained the researcher. He gestured at the specimens. "The team gathered every last piece they could find, but these are all that remain."

"How is that possible?" she asked.

"There were at least twice as much of this when we found it," added Vaurin. "I know what I saw, and I'm sure we didn't miscount."

"You counted accurately," assured the researcher, "but the samples are...unstable. In the time it took for them to be transported from the forest to us, some of the pieces had already disintegrated."

"Disintegrated?" repeated Vaurin.

"Crumbled to dust," clarified the researcher. He nodded at the samples. "These large sections are all that remain. If you'll allow me to show you, I found something very interesting while dissecting the skull."

The couple glanced at each other and then followed him over to the table. Seladon scowled at the smell arising from the specimen, and Vaurin covered his mouth and nose with a hand. No wonder the researcher was wearing a mask over his lower face. She peered down at the skull, noting that it had been cracked open like a nut. Bracing herself, expecting to see the gory remains of brain matter, Seladon looked more closely at it.

"What is this?" she demanded, pointing at the dully glowing crystal-like formations inside. It reminded her a bit of a geode, and the purple luminance was disturbingly similar to the Dark Crystal.

"We think that's what serves as the creature's brain," he answered, "though it too has deteriorated since we opened the skull up last night. We've attempted chiseling pieces of the carapace away to preserve it for research, but no method we currently use appears to work on this...flesh."

"Is it Arathim?" asked Vaurin tensely.

"That's the interesting part. We think it may _once_ have been Arathim, or at least closely related to their kind. Whatever creature these remains came from is not of Thra, however. That we have all agreed on."

"So it's from another world?" Seladon stared down at the remains, and she thought of everything her sister had told her about the discovery of how the Skeksis came to be.

"That, I cannot say. I can tell you that it isn't a species we've ever encountered before, regardless of similarities to Arathim. It's going to take further research to learn more, and I'm afraid we have limited time before these samples disintegrate like the others."

"And that's going to make it difficult at best to gather enough information to identify what this thing was," guessed Seladon.

"Unless another one of these creatures makes an appearance." The researcher spread his hands. "There was no sign of what may have killed it. Perhaps it was some mutation, warped by the Darkening. Perhaps not. Without more samples or even better; a live specimen, we can only speculate."

"Thra, I hope there aren't more of these where this came from," sighed the All Maudra. "We have enough to contend with."

She thought about the evidence she'd spotted of Arathim habitation in those wooded foothills, and she turned to Vaurin. "We need to go back to that area before dark."

"Do you think the collectors may have missed something?" he asked curiously.

"No, I'm sure they were very thorough, but I did see webbing near a cave opening just before I spotted the carapace pieces on the ground. If this wasn't an Arathim attack and they remain our allies, the ascendancy in this area may know something about this."

He appeared less than eager to follow her suggestion, and he shook his head with a sigh and a slight shudder. "I don't like it. If the spitters in this area have turned against us for whatever reason, walking into a nest of them would be very dangerous. I didn't even trust them when they allied with us."

"I share your misgivings, but we must know if this was a single incident and where we stand with the local Arathim. Our clan's safety is at stake."

His face took on a look of hard resolve, and he nodded. "You're right, of course. I would be honored to take on this task for you, my lady."

Her jaw dropped a bit. That hadn't been where she intended to go with her plan, and she knew from dreamfasting with him that Vaurin's experience as a victim of their mind control had traumatized him. Though he'd brawled with one of them bare-handed, though he'd been ready to hunt Arathim down to avenge his father, she knew he was as afraid of them as he was mistrustful of them.

"Please leave us," she said to the researcher. "I would speak to my paladin alone."

He tugged his mask down and bowed. "As you wish, All Maudra."

She waited until they were alone in the chamber, and then Seladon took her paladin's hand to guide him away from the examination tables, where the smell of the carapace wasn't so harsh on his sensitive nose.

"Vaurin, words can't express how touched I am by your offer. Especially after dreamfasting with you and experiencing what you endured at their hands."

He lowered his gaze. "You faced your fear. I can face this. For our people and for you."

She reached out to stroke the fringe away from his eyes. "That's very brave of you, but I wasn't suggesting sending you alone to that place. We'll go together with armed escorts."

"Oh, thank Thra." Vaurin's shoulders slumped with obvious relief.

The reaction made Seladon smile in spite of the ominous situation. "My poor paladin. Were you really prepared to walk into that nest all alone?"

"I might have soiled myself in the process," he confessed, "but I would have done it. Bravado isn't as easy to come by when I'm not angry."

"And yet you were still willing." She couldn't resist kissing him.

"Seladon?" he whispered against her lips after a moment.

"Yes?"

"Not that I couldn't kiss you from dawn to twilight, but this setting is...er..."

"Not romantic," she guessed. "I agree."

"I was going to say 'stinky', but we can use your word too."

She chuckled. "Very well. Let's get out of this place and make for the citadel with haste. We shall meet up with our companions, hear their reports and then travel to the suspected spitter nest."

"Agreed."

* * *

-To be continued


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so honored by the amount of support this story continues to get! Thank you everyone! This is a long chapter with a mix of humor, adventure, drama, fluff and...and...*drumroll* SMUT! Finally, some smut! Though I don't know if it really counts as smut since it took this long to get here, but reader beware; there is detailed sexual content in this one. I chose not to be quite as detailed as I normally would for scenes like this, both because I'm going for romantic erotica more than porn, and because certain descriptions I would normally use feel too vulgar for this story and the atmosphere of it. 
> 
> Anyway, please enjoy the update, and thank you for reading!

The reports on the state of their lands was, in contrast to the discovery of the creature, surprisingly positive. The Librarian had been keeping records of crop harvests domestic animal herds and gelfling births since returning from the battle of Stone in the Wood. These he provided for the surveillance team, so their work was more or less already done for them.

"The blight has shown signs of retreating, rather than spreading further," he explained to Seladon after joining them in the council chamber. "It's by no means gone, but many of the fields that were once afflicted are now fertile again. The birth rate is up, our land strider herd is replenishing and there have only been two incidents of infected livestock."

"This is good news," breathed Seladon, looking over the report scroll he'd provided. She raised her eyes to the ancient scholar. "But will it be enough to support all of us, should the remaining Vapra in the Dark Wood return home?"

"Yes," he assured her. "Most definitely, now that there are fewer...ah, forgive me."

"Fewer Vapra, you mean," sighed Seladon. "A brutal fact that can't be denied. We will recover, though. So long as things continue as they are and the blight continues to retreat, there is hope."

He nodded, and then he studied her as though trying to decipher the pages of a book.

"If you have something to say," Seladon told him coolly, "then say it. Best to get it out in the open, Librarian."

"I was just thinking of how much you remind me of your mother, since you've come back."

Her throat tightened. She stared at him suspiciously, not quite convinced he'd forgiven her for burning the last All Maudra's remains. He stared back with sincerity on his lined face. Perhaps this was his way of encouraging her. Extending the peace branch wasn't always easy.

"Thank you," she said graciously. "That's the kindest thing you've ever said to me. May I be half the All Maudra my mother was."

She excused herself from the chamber, and her paladins quietly followed her. It had felt odd to be in there again. The original throne had been replaced with another, less elaborate than the first but suitable. It wasn't complete yet and probably wouldn't be for several moons. Seladon hadn't even sat in it yet, but she knew the day would come when she would have to.

* * *

They reached the area where the strange carcass had been found, and Seladon scouted via air to find the suspected nest entrance. Once she located it, she led her group to it on foot. She paused at the opening with Vaurin at her side, peering in uncertainly. A damp, warm current of air drifted out from the earthy depths, and Vaurin joined her side with his hands on the hilts of his swords.

Seladon turned to him inquisitively as he sniffed the air. "What can you smell?"

He frowned, staring into the cave. His hair stirred with another draft of air that came out, and he shook his head. "It's faint, but Arathim have definitely been here. Whether they still remain or not..."

Suddenly he tensed and drew his swords, nudging his body in front of hers protectively.

"What is it?" gasped Seladon, startled by his burst of action. She too drew her blade, peering over his shoulder into the darkness. The sound of other blades being drawn rang out behind them, and the other paladins closed in a semi-circle.

"The other," he breathed, half-crouched in a battle stance. "That same stench given off by that...thing. Like some kind of stink bug."

"Which is stronger?" she asked, suppressing a shiver of foreboding.

"Hard to say, All Maudra. The smells overlap one another."

Seladon pondered the situation, looking back at her armed and waiting guard. They needed to know what was happening, needed to investigate. The only other option was to attempt to seal up this nest in the hopes that whatever might be inside couldn't get out again to threaten their people. That might be the safest way to deal with it, but it wouldn't provide them any answers and this probably wasn't the only cave system available for the mystery creatures to emerge from.

"We go in," she decided. "You and I, Vaurin. The others will remain here to guard while we explore a short way in to determine the situation."

He nodded. "As you command. We need glow lanterns."

The paladin captain provided the items for them, though her face was full of doubt as she handed them over. "I really think you should consider taking more than one guard with you, All Maudra. Lieutenant Vaurin is skilled, this is true, but—"

"If this tunnel is unstable, we may need all of you to dig us out," Seladon reasoned, "and until we see evidence otherwise, the Arathim are still our allies. It would be poor diplomacy to invade their home with a fully armed force."

"But you don't know what you may find in there," argued the captain.

"Keep guards close to the entrance to listen. I'll call out if we find any danger. Otherwise, let me do my duty and serve as ambassador to our people. If any of them are still in this nest, I will seek out the answers we need."

"Then take rope," suggested the captain. "Link yourselves together to it, and tie off the end out here. There could be holes in there that you may not see until you fall in them."

Seladon hadn't considered that. While she would be safe enough in the event of an unexpected floor collapse or tunnel opening up beneath them, her betrothed had no wings of his own. Quick reflexes and dexterity might not be enough.

"Very well," agreed Seladon.

* * *

She couldn't tell if it was her companion's breathing or her own that was so loud in her ears. Probably both. As she and Vaurin made their way through the entrance tunnel, Seladon felt like her hair was standing on end, and she broke out in a cold sweat. Her paladin had to put away one of his blades in order to hold his lantern, and she swore she saw it quiver as he held the light source up to guide the way. She likewise held hers up, looking back over her shoulder regularly as they progressed deeper.

Seladon was so concerned about watching their backs that she didn't pay enough attention to her front. Vaurin stopped, she didn't notice and she stumbled into him, nearly knocking him over. He dropped his lantern and steadied her with the arm he'd been holding it with.

"Careful," he whispered to her. "I nearly skewered you."

Gasping, trying to control the wretched trembling in her legs, she clung to him and nodded.

"That isn't the way I prefer you 'skewer' me."

He stared at her, and then he caught onto her insinuation and offered a nervous smile. He looked as though he was about to give a witty response in kind, but then they both heard the a scuttling sound and dislodged rocks scattering.

Both gelfling drew their blades and faced the direction the noise had come from, breath halting with anticipation. Seladon was sure her eyes were as wide as they'd ever been in her face as she stared into the gloom of the tunnel. It occurred to her that whatever was there likely already knew of their presence. Even moving quietly, the lantern light would have given them away to any cave dwellers.

"Could just be an animal," whispered Vaurin.

Fed up with being scared and huddling like a frightened podling, Seladon gathered her courage and straightened up.

"I am All Maudra Seladon," she announced. She saw her paladin's head whip around to stare at her in disbelief, hazel eyes wide as saucers in his pale face. "I and my companion come with peaceful intentions to speak with the Arathim of this colony."

"Seladon, SHHHHH!"

In his urgency, her usually charming suitor got spittle on her cheek trying to shush her. Seladon ignored it and took another step forward. "Are any of you here? There has been a murder not far from your lair. Some believe one of your kind were responsible for it, but evidence contradicts that. I wish to discuss it with you. Your people could be in danger as well."

There was silence, but for the sound of the two gelfling's nervous breathing and the pounding of her heart. Seladon tried once more. "If the alliance between Gelfling and Arathim still stands true, grant me audience to discuss this!"

"Oh, I hope you know what you're doing," rasped her companion. He sniffed at the air when there was another scuttling sound, and he held his lantern up. "One of them is coming. The scent is stronger."

They waited in tense silence, ready to draw weapons again or run like the wind, whichever came first. Finally, a small creature came into sight, no bigger than the palm of their hands. It stopped on top of a small boulder, flicked its attention between the two gelfling and hesitated.

"It's one of the mind stealers," stated Vaurin un-necessarily.

"Yes, I remember," answered Seladon. She kept her distance from the creature, well aware that its small size didn't make it any less dangerous than it's much larger brethren. It didn't make any threatening moves and it seemed just as wary of them as they were of it.

"Can you speak to us?" asked Seladon.

The creature seemed uncertain. First it bobbed as if nodding, then turned left and right as though shaking its head. It gestured at her face with one leg and made a clicking sound.

"It can only communicate with us using a host," Vaurin explained, voice full of dread.

Seladon had hoped that wouldn't be the case. "Well then, in the interest of our purpose here, I will offer myself as—"

"Over my dead body," said her paladin in a low, passionate voice. He turned to face her with haunted but determined eyes, shaking his head. "I would rather eat dung than see you at the mercy of one of them."

She checked a sigh. Her handsome redhead wasn't fearless and he wasn't too proud to admit that. When it came to her or his loved ones, however, he could summon up a titan's courage.

"We have to communicate with it somehow," reasoned Seladon softly. "It can't speak on its own, and I'm beginning to think this little one is by itself in these caves."

"It could be a trick."

Seladon leaned to the side to look around her companion's body at the creature. It stood waiting, not trying to jump on either of them. "I think it's awaiting consent to meld with one of us. We've seen no sign of any other Arathim in here except for old webbing."

He sighed, and he turned around to look at the Arathim. "Then I will do it."

"Vaurin—"

"It's the only way to get the answers, right? One of us has to have a clear conversation with it, and you're better suited to diplomacy than I am. If it turns hostile...I may be able to resist its compulsion at least long enough for you to get away and call for aid."

Now he was using reason instead of emotion to argue his case, and she had to admit his logic was sound. She didn't want to put him through this, though. She glanced at the waiting arachnid. Seladon approached it and knelt before it, despite her companion's soft protests.

"My paladin offers his voice to you. Something has happened here, and we need answers that I think you may have. You must release him as soon as we've finished speaking. Agreed?"

The creature made a bobbing motion that she took as a nod of concurrence. Seladon got back to her feet. She turned to her companion and drew a deep breath, steeling herself for what they had to do. She cupped his face in her hands, stroked his cheeks with her thumbs and kissed him on the lips.

"Be strong. I will try to make this exchange as quickly as possible."

He nodded. "Un-link us from one another. Use the rope to bind my hands and feet before we do this. I want it to be as difficult as possible for me to follow you if this goes to pot."

She hesitated, and he held her gaze. "Do it, my love."

He wasn't going to budge, and they had no time to debate further. Seladon untied the rope around her waist and he did the same. Vaurin kept a wary eye on the creature that would soon be latching onto the side of his face, and he handed over his weapons to the All Maudra. He sat down against the tunnel wall and allowed her to tie him up.

"How is that? Too tight?"

He looked up at her, testing the bonds around his crossed wrists and booted ankles. "The tighter the better."

She wished she had time to at least pad the rope so that it wouldn't chafe him. She stood up and stepped back, giving a nod first to him, and then to the Arathim. "Proceed."

The Arathim hopped off the boulder and scuttled into the light, onto Vaurin's boot and up his leg. He tensed, his chest rising and falling faster. He stared up at Seladon, holding still even though his every instinct must have been screaming at him to thrash and flail. The Arathim crawled up the paladin's chest, to his neck and onto the side of his face. He jerked, his eyes went blank and his pupils shrank and expanded.

Unsure if they were melded yet, Seladon spoke to her now slack-faced paladin. "Arathim, is it done?"

Vaurin turned his head slowly in her direction, then back. He was staring blankly through her, like a sleep walker. "It is done," he said, both in his voice and in a higher-pitched, vibrating one.

Best to get this over with, Seladon thought. "Do we have any reason to believe our alliance with you is strained?"

"No. The Arathim will still come to Gelfling aid when called upon."

It was so eerie speaking to Vaurin like this, knowing it was his voice but not his thoughts. "A farmer from my clan was found slaughtered in the forest four moons ago. He was nearly shorn in two."

"We heard his screams," said the Arathim.

Seladon's heart leaped in her throat. "The nature of his wounds suggest something enormous did it, something powerful. We discovered pieces of chitin not far from where the farmer's body was found. It looked very similar to Arathim parts."

"It was not Arathim," stated the creature. "Something else."

"Did you see it?" pressed Seladon. "Did it pass through here?"

"We saw it," agreed the Arathim. "Like Arathim, but unlike Arathim. Not...natural."

"How many?" Seladon demanded. "Was there only one, or were there others?"

"Only one that we saw. It was bulky. Many short legs, two big pinchers. Much bigger than Arathim. Much stronger. We have never seen such a creature before."

"Where did it first appear? Did it come into your nest from outside?"

"Not from the same place you did," came the answer. "Somewhere else. It seemed to be searching for something. Perhaps lost? It attacked and killed three before we chased it away."

"You chased it away," repeated Seladon. She frowned, looking around at their surroundings. "Then where are the rest of you?"

"This lair has been tainted by the abomination that passed through here," explained the creature. "We can still feel its presence, and so the Ascendancy has moved to join others in better locations."

Seladon could think of no other questions for the being, save one. "You describe it as an abomination, something un-natural. What do you mean? Was it even truly alive?"

Vaurin's head turned away as the creature melded with him contemplated her question. "Alive, but not living. It bore the same taint as the nurlocs that went mad in the caves of Grot and attacked us. That is all that we can tell you, gelfling. We must...rejoin our brethren...and this one...is fighting us. Such...will it has..."

She didn't understand the last part, until she saw the strained look forming on her paladin's face. Vaurin had already demonstrated an ability to retain at least some cognitive thought and will when joined with one of these creatures.

"Yes, that is enough," she agreed. "Release my paladin now, and I thank you for sharing this information with us."

The Arathim seemed all too happy to comply. It dropped off the side of Vaurin's face with a little squeak, then skittered off into the deeper darkness of the tunnels without looking back. Seladon watched it go until it was out of sight, and then she squatted before her panting companion to untie him.

"Are you all right?" she asked, shooting a worried look at him. He was sweating and too pale for her liking.

He nodded. "Yes. It's just a headache and some dizziness. It fades after a few moments."

"Did you hear any of that?" Seladon asked. She finished untying him, and she helped him to his feet.

"Yes, I heard all of it. It's too much to process with my head in this condition, right now. I'm still...trying to clear my thoughts."

Seladon supported him as much as she could. Had she the space, she would have carried him out of the tunnels via flight. "It's not far. Lean against me, and I'll guide us out. Vaurin?"

Seladon gave him a shake as his head fell forward. "Vaurin!"

He was falling unconscious, and they were on a slope. Rather than risk letting him topple backwards and possibly take a nasty rolling fall, the desperate female twisted with him, aiming his head toward the tunnel exit and holding him close. The impact was painful and jarring, but not as bad as it could have been.

Seladon grimaced and struggled to her knees. She rolled her companion onto his back and felt around for the lantern so that she could have a look at him. He seemed all right, but she wouldn't be satisfied until a healer looked him over.

She couldn't carry his weapons, both lanterns, the rope and him, so Seladon had no choice but to head back toward the entrance and call for help from their companions.

* * *

The paladins fashioned a stretcher from cloaks and select fallen branches, and they dragged Vaurin back to where they'd left the land striders and Seladon's carriage. After carefully lifting their unconscious comrade into the carriage and getting him situated, they returned to the citadel with top speed.

Vaurin woke up just as the physician was looking him over. He opened his eyes and he gave a start when he saw the unfamiliar face of an aged gelfling female hovering over him. "Wha...? Where am I? Seladon?"

"I'm here," she assured him, coming to his side. She took his hand, relieved to see him awake again.

"Hold still, young man," admonished the healer. "Look here; how many fingers am I holding up?"

"Three," he answered. He looked up at Seladon again. "What happened?"

"You lost consciousness after melding with the Arathim." She stroked his hair. "You complained of a headache and said you felt dizzy. After that, you passed out."

"Oh. I remember now. Most of it, anyway." He tried to sit up, and both the healer and Seladon pushed him back down on the bed.

"Lie still until she's finished looking at you," ordered Seladon. "That is not a request, Paladin."

He obediently relaxed against the bed, and he looked at his surroundings curiously while the physician checked him for bruises and bleeding. "Are we...back at the citadel?"

"Yes, in my bed chamber."

He jerked in surprise, blinking at her. "Your...bedroom?"

"I wasn't going to have them put you in the barracks or on some hard examination table," explained Seladon with a click of her tongue.

"Oh. I see."

Well, there was some color back in his face again. He was blushing rather adorably. It was just a room, so why was he acting this way?

"It isn't really proper for me to be in your personal bed, All Maudra," he said, suddenly all formality and respect.

Ah, now she understood. When they were alone or at least out of immediate sight of others, he was bold with his flirtations. In public, however, he always treated her differently. He must be worried about causing a scandal.

It was time for Seladon to start making it more publicly known that this male was hers, and this was the perfect time to start. "What's improper about my husband being in my bed?"

The physician dropped the instrument she'd been using to test his reflexes with, and it clattered to the polished stone floor. "What?" she gasped.

"What?" Vaurin said, practically in unison with the physician.

Seladon pressed a finger against her paladin's lips to silence him. "Shh, you've been through an ordeal, my love. We need to ensure you're in top form for our joining night, so be still and let Matron Drefa finish examining you."

Obviously stunned and confused, he quieted again, staring at her. He didn't take his eyes off of her as the healer supported his head and had him take a sip of medicinal tea from a cup. When he finished swallowing, he lay his head back again. He started to open his mouth, and Seladon shushed him again.

The healer talked to Seladon as she treated her patient. "When did you intend to announce this blessed news, All Maudra? I've heard nothing about it before now."

"He isn't _yet _my husband, officially. We must delay our plans for now," explained Seladon smoothly. "There are pressing matters to attend and no time for proper ceremony, announcements or elaborate parties. Nonetheless, this paladin is my choice in mates. Perhaps when we return again with the rest of the Vapra who wish to come home, we can make it official by our customs."

"Well, I certainly hope so," sighed Drefa. "If you ask me, a royal joining ceremony and party is just what our people need right now to lift their morale. So when do you plan to start producing little ones, hmm?"

It was Seladon's turn to get flustered and blush. "I...erm...we haven't...that is..."

"As soon as possible," blurted Vaurin, apparently finding his tongue again as well as his energy. He ignored earlier instructions to be still and sat up, eyes dancing with jubilation.

"You're not well," reminded Seladon, and she pushed him back down on the bed. "Quiet, you."

The physician chuckled. "Your chosen partner has vigor, All Maudra. That's promising."

"Just finish your examination, please," sighed Seladon, still flushed.

Moons and stars, she hadn't expected the subject of offspring to come up so soon, nor had she been prepared for Vaurin's enthusiasm at the prospect. They could at least give her a chance to finalize the union and settle into the role of being pair bonded before making such demands.

* * *

"Hey, when did my shirt come off? The rest of my gear, as well?"

The healer finally left them alone, and Seladon turned from the window to look at her betrothed. She smirked with amusement as he patted at his shoulders and chest, then his head.

"Your armor as well as your shirt were removed so that you could be properly examined. You're only now noticing the absence? Lie back down, Vaurin. How many times must I tell you?"

He sighed, and he plopped back down on his back to look up at the domed ceiling. "At least once more, I suppose. Thra, I never want to do that again."

"Be treated for injury?"

His eyes shifted to look at her. "No. Meld with one of those creatures. It's so invasive. I invited it this time for the sake of finding the answers we needed, but I couldn't let it take me over completely. Wanted to hear what it had to say and be ready to fight its influence if it tried to use my body to threaten you."

She walked over to the bed, and she sank down on the edge of it. "I know. I was there and I could see that you were fighting it."

He laid a hand over hers when she caressed his face, searching her eyes with his own. "Did you really tell that lady that I'm going to be your husband? Or is my mind still scrambled?"

"I did," assured Seladon. "I thought it was time I start making it known."

He smiled. "Then it's official."

She smiled back and nodded. "Yes. Certain propriety still has to be maintained, but I want to hold your hand more often without concern over who's watching. We can start behaving more as a couple in front of others."

He reached up to caress her shoulder in a sensual, teasing way. "Does that include when we are alone, my lady?"

Seladon's breath caught. She lowered her gaze, because it was difficult not to stare at his partly exposed chest. This was the most she'd ever seen of him before, and had she not been so concerned for his well being earlier, it would have been terribly distracting.

"You already flirt shamelessly when we are alone."

"I didn't mean flirtation." His expression sobered.

Seladon raised her eyes, and she was caught in his gaze again. Thra, they both deserved to give in to their needs, worship one another and feel the exquisite pleasure of coming together. They'd earned it, hadn't they? After all the loss, all the pain and the personal obstacles they had faced to get to this point, why not?

But...he had used up so much energy communing with the Arathim. He was still grieving for his father as well. She didn't want to stretch him too thin.

Feeling nervousness rising, she traced his lips with her fingertips. "You need rest."

"What I need," he purred, kissing the lingering fingertips, "is you, more than anything else."

And there was the answer to any lingering uncertainty she felt. They had begun the healing process together, joined minds and hearts, promised themselves to each other. All that truly remained was to answer the call of physical intimacy.

Seladon had imagined being freshly bathed and gowned in fine Vapran silk for their first time, but at least they were in a soft bed, in safe, clean familiar surroundings and most important of all, together.

"At least I had the chance to wash my hands," she murmured, and she sighed as he sucked on her fingertips.

That was a first, and it sent tingles through her body. Seladon reached up with her unoccupied hand to remove the leather headpiece she'd strapped on for the venture into the Arathim caves. She let it fall to the floor, and she eased herself fully onto the bed when her paladin scootched over a bit for her.

"I wouldn't care if you were covered in mud," he mumbled around her fingers, breath quickening. He reached for the covers, folding them down without ceasing the seductive things he was doing to her fingers with his mouth.

Seladon finally allowed herself to enjoy the sight of him, but she refused to interrupt what he was doing with her fingers. She began to touch him, tracing the smooth lines of his lean physique, admiring the shape of his collarbone, the tightness of his chest and stomach muscles, the little buds of his nipples. She gasped with delight when she discovered something else as she ran her other hand over his upper body.

"Why, you have freckles on your shoulders, too!"

"Please don't hold it against me." He kept kissing, sucking and nipping at her fingers, and there was a warm light in his eyes.

"Never. They're adorable. Where else do you have them?"

"Here and there on my back." He nuzzled her palm. He paused, and he took a few deep breaths. "Seladon...is this really going to happen?"

He said it in such a way as to sound mildly plaintive, like he expected her to change her mind or hold back again. He could have just kept seducing her with his words and actions, but he chose to give her one more chance to think it over first. She wanted him even more for that.

In answer to his question, Seladon took her hand away from his lips and slid it down his body. She plucked at the laces on his breeches, lowered her mouth to his and kissed him. She used light pressure at first, waiting for him to respond. It didn't take long. His lips moved against hers, and he reached up to start loosening her tunic.

The kiss deepened, and their tongues touched. He hummed softly, helping her to shrug out of the first layer covering her upper body. He stroked her hair before moving on to the blouse. This part was more delicate, because unlike the tunic—which was designed to fit around the base of her wings—the blouse had slits in the back of it.

He paused with her blouse half unfastened to help her take her boots off, and then the belt hit the floor. Seladon in contrast was having the most exasperating time getting his breeches open.

"What are these fastened with?" she complained, tugging with frustration and looking down.

"Easy," he soothed with a brief, soft laugh. "You've just tangled the laces. Careful or you'll cut off circulation to an important area."

Seladon made an annoyed sound and withdrew her hand so that he could help her loosen the drawstrings. She then noticed how aroused he was; could see the stark outline of his attributes straining against the material. He hissed through his teeth as he worked a tangle free, and then sighed with relief when it gave.

"There. Much better."

He started to sit up, but Seladon pushed him down again. He grinned up at her in that sly way and held his hands out in a gesture of surrender. "All right, I'll try to behave."

"Good paladin," Seladon approved, her voice low and thick with desire. She tugged the bedding down further, wedging a leg between his. "Just lie back for now. I've wanted this for too long."

He drew in a deep breath, watching her through a haze of wayward, magenta-striped fringe that swept over his left eye when she'd pushed him down. "Can I help you out of the rest of your clothes, at least?"

"Soon enough," she promised. "First, I want to see all of you."

He tucked one arm behind his head, and he reached out with the other one to tweak a strand of her long silvery hair. "As you wish, my lady."

She plucked the loosened strings holding his trousers closed until the material parted, and as soon as she caught sight of the tip of his arousal, she caressed it gently. He emitted a soft grunt and a sigh, but lay still for her. Emboldened and losing that uncommon shyness she'd been suffering around him, Seladon tugged his breeches open and pulled them down.

Vaurin gasped with surprise, but then he lifted his hips to make it easier for her to get the article of clothing off of him. Seladon tossed the breeches aside carelessly, and she sat up to get a full view of him. More than pleased with his form and attributes, she looked at his face again to see that he was blushing.

"You are all I imagined and more," she told him sincerely, running her hands over his hips, his thighs, his calves. It felt like something inside of her was going to pop soon. "Handsome from head to toe. Not to mention..."

She smirked at the elongated girth between his legs. "Well, I had a feeling I would be impressed, and I'm not disappointed."

"So happy to hear that," he husked, and then he shuddered and groaned when she began to stroke him. "Oh, that...that is...sublime."

Her body was humming with lust now, and Seladon pulled her hair over one shoulder as she straddled his thighs, still pleasuring him with her other hand. "Now," she gasped, "help me out of the rest of these clothes."

His hands fumbled with her blouse to finish removing it. They weren't so steady and sure now, but he was still careful not to rip any seams. Seladon bent over to make it easier for him, and their lips connected while he eased the material gently off her shoulders and over her wings. She had to pause her touches to slip her arms out, and then there was only the leggings.

Seladon stretched out on top of him, eager to be rid of the rest of her garments. She gripped him again, kissing his shoulders and throat. "Hurry, my love."

Vaurin was rocking into her touch, panting softly while he worked to get her bottoms off with trembling hands. "I'm...not usually this clumsy."

She chose not to take it as a reminder that he'd done this with others, but as a statement of how strong his feelings were for her. Seladon again helped him, stopping what she was doing to hook her fingers under the waist of her leggings and push while he pulled. Together, they eventually got the cursed things off and she shook the one clinging leg of them off of her foot.

Now Seladon was as nude as her paladin, and she straddled his thighs again, arched her back and stretched her wings out. She closed her eyes as she felt his hands slide along her outer thighs making their way to her hips. The palms were rough from handling weapons and working in fields, but his touch was so loving and warm on her.

Seladon opened her eyes to gaze down at him, and she found him staring at her with that intensity that had made her stomach do flips from the moment he first did it. He bore an awed expression on his face, and his hands stroked her body further upwards. It tickled a bit when they glided over her ribs. He brushed aside the cascade of her hair to have an unobstructed view, and she obligingly reached up to pull it back, dropping it between her spread wings.

"You are so, so beautiful," he told her. "Thra have mercy on me."

Seladon gasped softly as he palmed the swell of her breasts, caressing her nipples with his thumbs. She expected him to linger there as most males tended to, and that was fine. It felt good, made her loins throb and caused delightful tingles. Vaurin, however, wasn't so predictable. He marveled over that area for a few minutes, and then his hands traveled elsewhere.

Faintly surprised that he hadn't fixated on her chest, Seladon looked down at him again. That hungry amber gaze was examining her from head toe while his hands did the same. He traced her neck on both sides, her shoulders next, and then his eyes flashed. The paladin sat up with a grunt, and he kissed her to silence her protest.

"Don't," he gasped against her lips, "ask me to just lie here, Seladon. I can't. It isn't possible."

Her wings trembled and fluttered of their own accord as he skimmed his nails down her back between them, up under her hair. He then stroked back upwards before that sensual caress traveled down again.

"So long as...you don't exert yourself too much," she agreed unsteadily.

His touch was so exquisite as it traveled down her spine. His hands settled on her bottom, rubbed there for a moment before cupping it. He kissed her cheek, her jaw and her neck as his explorations continued on. His breath was warm and rapid against her skin, growing increasingly more ragged as she continued to stroke between his thighs.

He was so hard and full now; Seladon could feel his length beginning to twitch and throb in her grasp. His breath was trembling, his soft groans of pleasure and need intensifying steadily. Vaurin reached up to caress her wingspan, running his fingers along the outer edges before tracing the delicate veins and the glossy resilin between them.

"Oh," gasped Seladon, tilting her head back. "Mmm..."

Nobody had ever touched her wings quite like this before. It was just on the verge of tickling, arousing yet soothing. Having them stroked by a partner wasn't new to her, but he was taking it to a new, exciting level.

"Why have...I never...ah, Vaurin..."

"It seems," he murmured, "others haven't worshipped you properly. Pity for them...but good for me."

She had to admit that while having her wings caressed after the act had always been pleasant, Seladon had never considered they could be an erogenous area. He was already teaching her so much about her own body that she had neglected to explore.

"I just never imagined," she breathed. "How could I...not know about this?"

He pulled back a bit to gaze up at her, and he smiled. "Well, on the subject of self-love, I imagine it would be difficult for you to explore your wings like this."

She smirked unsteadily. "I agree. I'm not quite that...oh! F-flexible!"

During the exchange, he'd craftily brought one of his hands down to seek out the most obvious erotic spot between her legs. His fingers began to massage her down there, lightly at first.

"Sly," she accused breathlessly, looking into his lusty, smiling eyes.

"That _is_ the nickname you gave me."

Her paladin was certainly a multitasker. His lips and tongue worked magic on her mouth, her throat, her shoulders. His hands had her body singing all over with pleasure, and when Seladon knew she couldn't take it anymore, she pushed him down on his back again. This time he didn't protest, and he cupped her hips and watched her as she scooted up to align herself with him.

As soon as she guided him in and released her hand's hold on him, Vaurin rolled his hips and gasped. Seladon echoed him, wings again fluttering with bliss. They were both breathless, enchanted and oh so rewarded in that moment.

His eyes seemed to cross a little before fluttering shut, evidence of how intense his relief was. When he opened them again to lock eyes with her, Seladon locked hands with him. Fingers intertwined with Vaurin's, she began to move as impulse dictated. He did the same, squeezing her hands back and gasping her name.

He made her feel like a goddess. His passion was so intense, but he channeled in a way that wasn't aggressive. He gave himself to her, matching her motions, timing his thrusts and pausing when she expressed a desire to control the pace.

Seladon knew she was crying out, was sure the citadel guards and members of their hand-selected travel party could hear her calls of ecstasy. She didn't care, and she didn't censor herself. Let them hear her pleasure. Let the whole of her clan hear it, for all she cared. She had found her other half, her mate for life.

* * *

Morning brought with it an ugly reminder that they still had responsibilities to see to, as well as a long road to travel. Seladon woke first, but she didn't wake her paladin. It was still very early. Only the first brother had crested the horizon, so there was time yet.

Vaurin lay beside her, naked, tangled up in the sheets and far too cute with his hair mussed up and his mouth hanging partway open. She watched him fondly as he slept, silently counting the freckles on his cheeks and nose. They weren't as dark or numerous as the freckles she'd seen on some other gelfling, but he was so self-conscious of them.

Perhaps he would learn to appreciate his markings as she did, if she expressed her love of them enough. After all thanks to him, Seladon was starting to like some things about herself that she'd always wished she could change before.

She couldn't resist running a finger over his nose. He reacted to the touch in the most adorable way. He sniffed, rubbed at his nose and then smacked his lips before sighing and settling down again.

She should leave him be, let him sleep as late as she could. That was what Seladon thought, but her impulsive actions contradicted her reasoning. She stroked his nose again with her finger, from brow to tip. His eyes blinked open, and the minute they focused on her he gave her a sleepy little smile.

"Good morning," he whispered.

"The best I've had in several trine," she agreed just as softly. She traced the bridge of his nose again. "You know, I love this nose."

"Do you? Why?"

She shrugged and cuddled closer, circling the tip of with the pad of her finger. "The shape of it. The way it turns up just a little at the tip."

"Ugh, I hate that," he groaned, but he was still smiling.

"I adore it," she countered, and then she took her hand away to nuzzle the spot with her own nose.

"Well then, that's good enough for me." He put an arm around her, giving her a squeeze.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

Vaurin kissed her briefly. "Wonderful, despite the bruises. Last night was..." He seemed to struggle to put his thoughts into words.

"Like a dream," she finished for him, smiling.

"Yes." He rubbed her back, stroked her wings and then smoothed her hair. "I touched the moons and stars."

Inspired by his romantic words, she offered her own perspective. "And I touched the suns and clouds."

For a moment, they just stared at each other, and then her paladin broke the silence. "There is _one_ thing I would have liked to do, but didn't get the chance to."

"Oh?" Seladon couldn't think of anything left that they hadn't done together, save two things. "The pair bonding will come later, I promise. As will children, when I know the time is right."

He shook his head. "I trust you in that, but it isn't what I was talking about."

Her mind immediately went to her performance. It was obvious that her paladin had more experience than she did. "Did I do something wrong last night?"

He looked honestly surprised by the question. "Wrong? Oh Seladon, nothing could be further from the truth." He glanced down at the twisted sheets, tugging at them a little to examine them. "The mess I made of your bedding should be proof of that."

She blushed and lowered her gaze. He _had_ demonstrated insatiable passion throughout the night. "Well then, what was missing? Did you want to be on top more often? I know that I was a bit domineering over you. I can be softer, though. I can—"

He shushed her with two fingers, again shaking his head. He kissed her lips. "You were perfect. In fact, I like that you aren't afraid to take control. You weren't shy about expressing your desires, and that's so refreshing and exciting to me. I would not change _anything_ about your performance."

"Then what?" she demanded, becoming frustrated. "Your assurances restore my confidence, but I don't want to spend the morning taking guesses. What is it you wanted to do?"

He coaxed her onto her back, and he started kissing her languidly. It was hard to stay irritated when he kissed her like that, and Seladon saw a familiar grin on his face as he scooting down, pressing those attentive lips against her skin along the way.

"I know that look," she warned, staring down at his mischievous expression. "We have no time for coy little games. I...oh!"

Seladon was treated to a pleasurable jolt when the paladin paused at her chest, swirled his tongue explicitly around a nipple and then continued his trek.

"I just want a taste," Vaurin purred. His hands glided along her inner thighs before gently easing them apart. "Never got one last night."

Now she realized what he meant, and her face went hot. Seladon looked at the light beaming more brightly through the stained glass window of her chamber, and she bit her lip. "Vaurin, we can't. There isn't time for us to couple again."

"That isn't the intention, my love. We have enough time for what I want. Just a kiss. It won't take long."

He then made it to his destination, and Seladon gave such a start when he put his mouth on her that she nearly sat up. "That...is _not_...just a kiss!"

In response, he pushed her thighs further apart and got even more amorous. A shudder rippled through the All Maudra's body. She started to grab for her lover's ears, remembered how sensitive they were and splayed her hands flat on the bed instead. He was doing things to her down there, such bold things with his mouth and tongue...and then with his fingers as well.

She fell back on the bed, panting and moaning. Her head tossed back and forth on the pillow, and as the pleasure grew to greater intensities, Seladon understood just how much she had been missing out on. He continued relentlessly until she was driven over the edge.

Seladon's hands clenched, her breath hitched and her hips canted urgently. "Ah...Vaurin! Oh, Thra!"

He was right; it didn't take long.

* * *

He held her while she recovered, kissing her hair and stroking her wings. When her trembling ceased and her breathing calmed, Vaurin smiled at her.

"Now," he said, "we can bathe and take on the day's responsibilities."

"You," she said in an accusing, breathless voice, "are incorrigible."

"Hmm. That's a big word I'm not familiar with, my lady. What does it mean?"

"It means you're unruly!"

He kissed her flushed cheek, and he sat up and stretched. "If that were true, my lady, I doubt I'd have made the cut to be a paladin."

"I don't mean in that way." Her heart was still pounding hard. "I mean when we're alone."

He looked back at her, and the sunlight shining through the window highlighted the red hues in his hair. He gave her a wink. "Ah. Well, I intend to be incor...incorrig...bugger." He lost his smug edge and blushed.

Seladon couldn't resist a chuckle. "Incorrigible."

"Right." He nodded. "In any case, don't expect me to behave when I have you all to myself. I've told you before that it's been a struggle to keep my hands off you for all these trine."

Seladon started to gather the sheets around her, but thought better of it when she remembered the condition they were in. Instead, she sat up and scooted closer to him. She kissed the freckles on his shoulders, brushing his tangled hair out of the way.

"I suppose I can live with that."

There was a knock on her door. One of the citadel attendants called out from the other side of it.

"All Maudra, are you awake?"

Seladon squashed the flicker of panic trying to rise in her breast. Reminding herself that Vaurin was her intended mate and not some casual dalliance, she got out of bed to fetch her dressing robe off the post. There were clothes scattered all over the chamber. Hers, and his. Between that, the state of the bed and the lingering scent of sex in the air, it was glaringly obvious what had happened between them.

"All Maudra?"

Seladon shrugged it off, tying her elaborate silk robe closed. It was pointless to fret over it. Half the Vapra in Ha'rar probably knew by now that she'd chosen him as her mate, and the other half was likely buzzing with rumors. She could clear everything up when they returned.

Seladon opened the door to find a young female Vapra on the other side. Dressed in a maid's gown, the girl stared at her All Maudra for a moment before giving a respectful bow. "Pardon if I disturbed you, All Maudra. I was instructed to ready your bath and travel clothes, clean your chambers and of course...ah...to...um..."

Seladon frowned at the suddenly flustered, wide-eyed blonde girl. The attendant was no longer looking at her, but something behind her. That was when Seladon heard a rustle and a soft curse. She turned around in time to see her paladin tripping over the sheets he'd reefed off of the bed in an attempt to cover himself, and he went down with a cry, lost to sight.

"Ahhh...All Maudra?"

Seladon turned around again. The maid was staring at the spot where Vaurin had dropped on the other side of the bed, possibly hoping to get another look at him. Seladon hadn't even considered giving her lover a chance to cover up before she'd flung the door open. Judging by the look on the maid's face, she certainly didn't mind catching sight of him like that.

"You'll have to excuse my betrothed," Seladon told her graciously. "He isn't usually so clumsy. We lingered in bed for too long, so he isn't fully awake yet."

"O-of course, All Maudra. Shall I...have a bath drawn for him as well?" The girl's eyes were burning with questions and intrigue.

"No need," answered Seladon. "We'll be taking our bath together. Just ensure a robe is available for him, and have someone fetch clean clothing and proper uniform gear for him as well. We leave for Stone in the Wood at noon, so don't waste any time."

The girl blushed again at the mention of Seladon and her companion bathing together. She glanced around the room at their discarded clothing, giggled and then corrected her behavior when Seladon narrowed her eyes warningly at her. "Yes, All Maudra."

When the maid hurried off to do as she was bidden, Seladon closed and locked the chamber door. She turned around, and she saw the top of Vaurin's head slowly rise from the other side of her bed so he could peek over the top of it.

"She's gone, my love." Seladon couldn't quite hide the amusement in her tone.

"Oh. Well, I was just...looking for my boots. You know, there isn't so much as a speck of dust down here? I've never seen such a clean floor."

"You know that they keep all chambers of the citadel immaculate," reminded Seladon, padding over to large, circular bed. She joined him on the side, and she shook her head with a mock sigh of exasperation to find him sitting cross-legged on the floor. The sheet that he'd halfway stripped off the bed was bundled in his lap, covering his groin.

"Comfortable?" she asked, bending down and placing her hands on her knees.

"Quite." he looked up at her with a perfectly bland expression. The only thing to betray it as an act was the flush highlighting his cheeks and nose.

Seladon sank gracefully to her knees, keeping her own face relaxed in an equally neutral expression. "You must win a lot when you play 'toss the stones'."

He shrugged, still maintaining that calm facade. "I've walked away with my share of baubles and coins, yes."

"But tell me something." Seladon tactfully lifted a corner of the sheet he was using as cover, and she slipped her hand underneath. She smirked when he tensed and caught his breath. "What happens if the stakes make you blush?"

His mask cracked, and he started to grin. "The only gambling that I've done that would make me do that is with you."

He reached for her then, and he pulled her into his lap. Seladon gasped with surprise, but soon recovered and put her arms around his shoulders. "She'd already seen you by the time you performed your failed acrobatics with the bedding, you know."

He shrugged. "I wasn't expecting you to open the door more than a crack. Instead you opened it all the way. Didn't give me much time to act."

"I expected you would have the sense to cover up before I even turned the knob," she shot back. "Silly paladin."

"I...well, I'm not used to this."

Seladon's brow furrowed, and she tucked one of her small, dangling braids back behind her ear. "Used to what?"

He looked around and gestured. "This. The extravagance. Having servants coming to offer things. Are they going to do that often?"

"Don't worry," she soothed. "Nobody is going to just barge in here while the door is locked. They might pester us and knock, but unless I don't answer or some emergency arises, they'll leave it alone."

"Oh. How do they clean when you aren't here, then?"

"I leave it unlocked, of course. This merely my sleeping chamber, so I keep few things in here of personal value."

Seladon immediately revised that as she gazed into his eyes again. "Save for now."

"Hmm?"

She cupped his chin and kissed him lingeringly, choosing not to elaborate. If they fell back into romantic chatter again, it might lead to other things and they would never get out of there.

"Come, stop hiding and put on your clothes from yesterday. Your shirt is hanging on the privacy screen over there, and the boots that you _weren't looking for_ are sitting beside it. We'll bath, change, eat and then take care of our business here. Afterwards, We will assemble the travel party and stop at your family farm on the way to say our goodbyes and collect Baffi."

"Yes," he agreed, releasing his hold on her so that she could get up. He accepted her help as he got to his feet.

"It's so odd," remarked Seladon with a long, admiring look at his nudity. "You all but panicked when I opened the door to speak to the maid, but now you don't seem the slightest bit modest."

He paused in the act of replacing the sheet on the bed, and he looked at her in that sincere, devout way of his. "I can explain that. Part of it is because I understand there are certain expectations of conduct for you, as the All Maudra. As such, I feel it's my duty as your future husband to also set an example."

It was a fine answer, and in her heart, Seladon knew her mother would have approved of this male as her partner, regardless of social status. "What is the other reason?"

His eyes softened on her, their amber hue seeming to grow warmer. He stepped closer to her and he whispered in her ear, as was his habit when he wanted to stress that his words were deeply personal and just for her.

"It's because now I feel that certain parts of me are reserved for _your eyes only_. Both in this world, and in the dream world."

The first reason he'd given had impressed her as a leader, but the second one stole the last tiny bit of her heart that didn't already belong to him. Shaken, her emotions warring with nagging lust, Seladon took a deep breath and decided on the safest path to take.

"I love you, my sweet, devoted sly one," she told him sincerely, and she pulled back when he started to embrace her. "Now put some clothing on before I ravish you. I think...it may be best if we bathe separately after all."

"But—"

"Vaurin, I'm going to remind you of the way you withheld yourself from me that night in Stone in the Wood, when I invited you to stay the night and you refused. Do you recall?"

"Of course I do, but—"

"No 'buts'. I don't trust myself to behave, and we must both put duty above personal needs now. Time enough for us to enjoy one another again later."

He argued no further. Instead he gave her a little smile of admiration, nodded and went to do as she said.

* * *

-To be continued


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm surprised by how long this chapter turned out to be. The opportunity for more character development bit me in the ass, I guess.

After cleaning up, procuring fresh clothes and breaking their fast, Seladon and Vaurin parted ways for a bit, working separately but for the same goals. He went to join his fellow paladins to prepare the caravan for the journey back to Stone in the Wood. Seladon held audience with her council concerning the findings from yesterday, territorial defense plans and the migration of clan members back to Vapra homelands.

The captain of Seladon's guard had already given the report on the encounter with the Arathim and the description it gave, so that spared her a bit of time. The lead researcher informed her that nothing of the specimen samples they'd gathered was left now, save for a few crumbling crystals from what they assumed to be the brain.

"The Arathim said there was only one," Seladon stated. "It may have been a single incident that we won't see repeated. Even so, we can seal the entrance to that nest now, as no Arathim live there any longer. I want a search conducted as soon as possible. All entrances to that tunnel system must be sealed off as a safety measure."

"Of course, All Maudra," agreed the captain in charge of the citadel guards. "We will see it done immediately."

She turned to the Librarian, who was acting as a placeholder for her in her absence. "You shouldn't need to speak for me much longer. I have the confirmation I need to assure me that it won't put undue strain on our resources for our refugees to return home. I shall send word if anything arises that force a change of plans, but you can expect us to return within two full turns of the moons from now."

The Librarian bowed his head in acknowledgement. "The council will eagerly await yours and Princess Brea's return, All Maudra. Until then, I shall carry out your will to the best of my ability."

Seladon chose not to tell him that her sister might not be included in the homecoming. She had no time to go into lengthy explanations and in truth, she couldn't say what Brea would ultimately choose when the time came for the migration home.

"Thra watch over you all," Seladon stated.

"And you as well, All Maudra," came the unified response.

"Safe journeys, my lady." The Librarian placed a withered hand on her shoulder.

"Thank you." Seladon looked around at the members of the council. "This meeting is concluded. Remember your duties and take pride in them. I shall take my leave for my journey, now."

* * *

The next stop was Vaurin's family farm. Unfortunately they couldn't linger for long, as they were already running behind schedule. The convoy waited at the side of the road while Seladon and Vaurin walked up the hill to the cottage. Seladon was happily greeted by Baffi while her paladin exchanged tight hugs with his family.

"Did you behave yourself?" asked Seladon of her fizzgig companion.

"He didn't get up to much mischief, All Maudra," assured Vaurin's mother. She bent over to give the yipping, excited creature a final pat of affection. "Baffi was good company. He spent most of his time frolicking around the farm, and he didn't get underfoot too much."

"Good." Seladon took the opportunity to speak with the widow, since Vaurin was engaged in talk with his brother. "I've made arrangements with the council to ensure you and your son are looked after. Each turn of the moon, a courier will be sent with provisions to help you get by. A volunteer will also come every third moon to assist you on the farm."

"Oh, my lady...you really shouldn't—"

"I insist," interjected Seladon. "The cold season is coming in from the Claw Mountains. When it arrives here, no more crops can be grown until it leaves. You'll need some aid to ensure you can harvest enough for your winter stores and for trade. I would give your son leave to stay behind and help you with the farm himself, but—"

"But he needs to be by _your_ side," finished the widow for her with a nod. "Think nothing of that, All Maudra. Vaurin chose a different path from his father and to be honest, he was never much help on the farm to begin with. Too busy daydreaming, chasing girls or practicing his swords."

"I...see." The reminder that her betrothed got in plenty of practice with the art of intimacy made her feel that silly twinge of unreasonable jealousy. She tried to banish it. "Well, he's proven himself to be an exemplary paladin. You should be proud."

"I am," assured the older female. She looked past Seladon, and she smirked. "Besides, I doubt my son would leave your side even if you offered him the opportunity. He's as smitten with you as his is loyal."

Seladon turned around, prompted by the direction of the other woman's stare. Vaurin was still speaking with Jermid, but his eyes were on her. He smiled a little when she met his gaze, and then his brother nudged him to get his attention back. The paladin gave a little start and focused on his sibling again.

The widow clicked her tongue and addressed Seladon in a low whisper. "He's got the same single-minded devotion to you as his father did with me...Thra rest his soul. Different paths, but father and son were more alike than either of them realized."

Seladon smiled gently, sympathetic to the grief this woman was going through. "I'm sorry I never got the opportunity to meet him. I would have liked to tell him what a fine son the two of you raised together."

"We did," agreed the widow, sniffing. She wiped at her suddenly glistening eyes. "We _did_ raise a fine son. Two of them. Ah, forgive me."

"There is nothing to forgive," soothed Seladon. "Grieve when you must. I understand."

A horn blew from the roadside, giving everyone pause.

"What's that about?" wondered Jermid. "Is it a danger signal?"

"No, a reminder," clarified Vaurin. "For me and the All Maudra."

Seladon nodded. "I asked them to sound the horn to alert us when our time is up. We must be moving on, I'm afraid."

"Of course," said Vaurin's mother understandingly, "you don't want to lose daylight. But wait, there are some parting gifts I want to give you both."

She hurried over to a trunk against the wall of the common room, fetching a drawstring bag and a couple of items wrapped in woven material. She offered one of the wrapped presents to Seladon first, and she nodded encouragingly at the younger woman to open it.

Seladon pulled the twine free that was tied around it, and she parted the material to find a lovely wooden comb inside. It was a burnished deep brown color, and whomever had made it did so with obvious care and skill. There were gelfling symbols carved into the handle, and it had a small oval stone of blue and white set into it.

"It's beautiful," Seladon breathed, stunned. She looked at the other woman, who was smiling through her tears. "I...I don't..."

"You _must_ accept it," insisted the widow. "That comb was passed down to me by my mother, carved for her by my father. It was a joining gift to me. We had no daughters, so it's only fitting that it should go to you. We _are_ going to be family after all."

Seladon looked at the comb again. "I'm truly touched by your gift, but if it's meant to be a joining gift, why didn't you wait to give it to me until we have the ceremony?"

Vaurin's mother shrugged. "The times we live in don't allow much space for ceremony, my child. I'll think of something else to give you on the day of your official union, but a girl with hair as beautiful as yours should have a good comb made by loving hands. My husband would have agreed with me, I think."

Seladon swallowed, and she took a moment to calm her emotions. "Thank you. I will treasure this gift, always, and it will be passed on to my first born daughter when the day comes."

The older woman nodded in approval, and then she turned to Vaurin. "Now, this sack has some snacks in it for the road. I know you have rations and supplies, but I made these myself for you and your lady. It's not much; just a couple wedges of my cob pepper cheese, some cabbage wraps and some nuts. You two need to keep up your strength."

"Mm, the cheese alone is a treat," Vaurin said after opening the sack to peek in. He looked at Seladon. "Wait 'till you've tried Mother's cob pepper cheese. It's practically famous in these parts!"

Seladon smiled at his enthusiasm. "I'm sure it's delicious. We can share it when we break to rest the animals."

"Here," he said, handing the sack over to her. "You'd best keep it in the carriage with you, out of my hands. I might give into the temptation to eat all of it, otherwise."

"You and your cheese," sighed Jermid, shaking his head.

"What? It's the best cheese in all of Thra! Don't try to pretend you don't stuff your face with it when she makes it."

"All right, no bickering," scolded their mother. She then held out the second wrapped item for him. "And lastly, this is from both me and your father."

Vaurin's mood immediately sobered, and he looked down at the little parcel in his hands. "What is it?"

"Open it," encouraged his mother. "You will see."

He hesitated for a moment, and then he loosened the twine to do as she suggested. Seladon looked on curiously as her paladin lifted a medallion hanging from a woven chord. It spun in the air as he dangled it over his palm, and when it slowed and went still, Seladon could see that the medallion was carved of some kind of stone; probably harvested from the Claw Mountains. It had the Vapra clan symbol etched into it, and next to it was the Sifa clan symbol. There were other smaller symbols etched around the edges of the medallion on both sides.

"As you know, I was a Sifa before I met your father," explained the widow. "I never looked back once I found him, but we've always considered ourselves both Vapra and Sifa. Unconventional by traditional standards, but it was _our_ family symbol. You see how the two of them touch and overlap one another at the ends?"

Vaurin nodded. "Yes. They look...almost like one single symbol."

"Exactly," said his mother in a satisfied tone. "That's the way it's meant to look. Two gelfling from different clans, uniting as one. Unity; that is what joining is all about. He was a part of me, your father, and I was a part of him. Together with the blessing of Thra, we had you and your brother."

"That is beautiful," Seladon whispered truthfully. Once upon a time she would have found it almost sacrilegious to merge two clan symbols together like that, but not anymore. She'd had no idea that Vaurin came from a mixed background, and it really didn't matter to her.

Vaurin swallowed, and he tied the pendant carefully around his neck before tucking it into his shirt. "Thank you, Mother."

"We made two," she informed him. "He and I together. One for you, and one for your brother."

Jermid nodded and revealed his own pendant, which he pulled out from under his shirt to show off. "I got mine last night."

"It isn't just a pendant," explained the widow. "Those symbols engraved on the edge of it are also dream etchings. One on each side; two separate memories of the same thing. One through his eyes, and the other through mine."

Vaurin looked startled, eyes widening as he lifted his pendant out of his shirt to examine it again. "What memories?"

The horn blew again, a little louder this time. Seladon grimaced. Yes, she'd told them to remind her of the time and they really should be going, but this was too important a moment to rush it along.

"Excuse me for a moment," said the All Maudra, and she hurried to the door with Baffi following at her heels. She opened the door and stepped out to look down the hill at her waiting travel party. The captain of the group started to call out to her, but Seladon made a slashing gesture with both arms and shook her head.

Satisfied that she'd made her point well enough, she stepped back inside and closed the door. Vaurin's mother was answering his question...or rather, she wasn't.

"It won't be as special if I tell you. I want you to see it for yourself, son. When you have a quiet moment to yourself, dreamfast with the etchings. Let them bring you comfort when you're in pain, strength when you feel weak, and solace when you feel alone. Your father and I will _always_ be with you."

Vaurin started to break down at her words. Seladon saw it in the way his mouth trembled, and she _felt_ it to her core. Since their dreamfasting and coupling, it seemed like she was exceptionally sensitive to his emotions. She felt her own eyes stinging as her lover's filled with tears. His breath hitched, and he embraced his mother tightly.

"Be strong," said the widow, her own voice trembling. "You have a long way to go, son. You have a mate to watch over, a clan to protect and Thra willing, you'll have a family of your own some day soon. Never forget where you came from, though."

Vaurin nodded against her hair, giving her a squeeze. "Yes, Mother." He reached out for his brother, and Jermid joined them in the embrace.

"You too, dear," choked their mother, gesturing Seladon's way. "Family hug. That includes you."

Seladon's eyes widened a little. She wasn't part of their family yet. It wouldn't be appropriate...

But then Vaurin opened the circle as well, looking at her with tearful eyes.

To the skeksis pits with appropriate, Seladon decided. Rules changed, and this felt right. She put aside the sack of snacks and she accepted the invitation. Soon she was sandwiched between Vaurin and his mother, with Jermid facing her. She was part of the circle, part of the unit. It felt like pure love, and before she knew it, her tears joined theirs.

After all, gelfling were strongest when they stood together as one.

* * *

They left the cottage after several moments of sharing the group embrace, and both Seladon and her paladin kept looking back at the two lone figures standing outside. Noticing that Baffi was looking conflicted, Seladon made a decision.

"Baffi, go," she told the fizzgig. "It's all right. They need you right now."

He whined, looking between her and the family. Seladon paused to kneel down before him, and she took him in her arms once more to hug the animal. "I shall return, little one. We'll see each other again. Until then, stay here. Look after them. Protect them. After all, that _is_ what you do best."

He whined again and nuzzled her, and Seladon felt fresh tears threatening. She sniffed and set Baffi down, gesturing again up the hill. "Go. I'm counting on you to take care of them while I'm away."

The fizzgig almost seemed to sigh, and then he turned and rolled up the hill. Seladon got to her feet and watched Vaurin's little brother bend over to pick Baffi up. She nodded in satisfaction, and she turned back to the road.

Vaurin offered her his arm in a courtly manner, and when she linked hers through it, he spoke softly to her. "That was a very kind and thoughtful thing you did just now, my lady."

Seladon's mouth quirked with a trembling, ghost of a smile. "I like your family."

His answering smile also quivered at the edges. "I knew you would. They're quite taken with you, too."

"We'll see them again before long," vowed Seladon, "and then, we'll finalize our union before the clan."

He released her arm to take her hand in his. He brought it to his lips to kiss the top of it. "I can't think of anything I want more."

* * *

Seladon rode in the carriage as was proper, though it felt very lonely without Baffi there to keep her company. She would have preferred riding with Vaurin on his land strider, but there was a storm coming in from the mountains and all of her paladins—including her betrothed—insisted that she stay safe and dry inside.

They had hoped to cover more ground than they had the last time before resting. As the wind picked up and the sky darkened prematurely, it was doubtful they would succeed in that goal. When she heard the rain beginning to drum down on the roof of her carriage, Seladon untied the drapes covering one of the carriage windows. She then unfastened the protective hide tarp that served as a water-resistant layer of added protection to the elements.

Pushing the drapery aside, Seladon peered out. The wind immediately whipped the tarp back in place, and it hit her in the face. Cursing, she shoved the heavy layer aside. The rain was coming down harder, making it difficult to see very far. She _could_ see the long, spindly legs of a land strider plodding along beside her carriage.

Instinctively knowing who she would see atop the beast, Seladon looked up. Sure enough, there he was. He rode hunched over, and he'd tugged the edge of his hood forward beneath his helmet piece to help keep his face dry and shield his eyes from the rain. Already, the hair that hung loose beneath his hood and helmet was soaked. Seladon could see water dripping from the little braid woven into part of it. The paladin's cloaks served as some protection from the rain, but they wouldn't keep them completely dry.

Lightning forked across the sky, startling Seladon. She leaned out the window to look back at the rear guard, concerned that they might get separated in the squall. That was when her red paladin evidently noticed her, because he called out.

"All Maudra, what are you doing? You're getting wet!"

Seladon blinked away rain water and looked up at him. She could see his amber gaze glittering down at her from the shadow of his hood. "No wetter than you are!"

He frowned. "But I'm out here and you are in there. Keeping you safe and well is my duty as a paladin, so please, close the tarp and drapes, dry off and stay warm."

She raised a brow at him, and he sighed. He leaned as far over the side of his tall mount as was safely possible, reaching his hand down. For a moment she thought he meant to pull her up there with him, and Seladon stretched out as much as she could, reaching back for him.

Vaurin gripped her hand, gave it a gentle squeeze, and then spoke in a voice just loud enough to carry to her. "Please, my love. This isn't the time for you to be stubborn."

She sighed. Curse him for being right. She was behaving like a spoiled childling, refusing to sit still even when it was in her best interests. This was not the example she needed to set for her people. She returned the pressure of his hand.

"Very well, Paladin. Inform me when we reach our way point."

He nodded, and he winked at her after releasing her hand. "As you command, All Maudra."

Seladon sighed again, except this time, it was a sigh of infatuation. She shook herself out of it, ducked back inside and yanked the tarp closed. It took some effort to close the flapping material and secure it shut again, and she drew the curtains closed over it. Sitting back against the seat, her face dripping with water, she looked up at the ceiling of the carriage.

Coupling with Vaurin hadn't lessened the effect he had on her. All it took from him was a sly smirk, a heated whisper in her ear or a roguish wink of the eye to turn her into a puddle. Perhaps with time, this giddy infatuation he induced in her would fade. She frowned unconsciously at the thought. As annoying as her reactions to his sensuality could be, she wasn't sure she _wanted_ to lose that heart-pounding rush.

"But I could stand to retain a bit more dignity," she mused aloud. Seladon straightened up and looked around for something to dry her face and hair off with. At least she had an equally powerful effect on him. Vaurin could go from seductive to adorably awkward whenever she did something to fluster him.

Seladon hoped that she could still make him blush for several trine to come.

* * *

The crash of thunder woke Seladon from her doze, and the cracking, groaning sound that followed afterwards prompted her to sit up with alarm.

"What now? Whooooo!"

There was another crash, and then Seladon was tossed from her seat as her carriage suddenly slammed into something. The vehicle canted, wobbled and just as Seladon thought it was over and tried to crawl back into her seat, the carriage rocked onto its side...and kept going. Seladon tried to grab hold of something, but all she managed to get was a handful of the decorative silk that draped from the ceiling. It tore in her hand and she cried out, tumbling helplessly.

Her breath expelled in a savage rush as she landed on her back, legs in the air. She heard the squeals of frightened land striders and raised gelfling voices. Seladon struggled to get her bearings, utterly confused, disoriented and fighting for breath.

"Look to the All Maudra!" shouted the captain from somewhere outside.

Seladon opened bleary eyes to look around. The glow lantern affixed to the ceiling of the carriage was now somehow on the wall to her right. It was hanging weirdly on it's side, rather than straight down from the fixture it was attached to. The silks were drooping limply down on either side of it, one of them torn in half.

The seats, she noticed, were also in the wrong place. They were on the wall to her left. The catch to the underside compartment of one of them popped loose, and the door fell open on its hinge. The end of a rolled-up blanket poked out.

She realized then that the items inside the carriage weren't out of place at all; it was the vehicle that was the problem. It was completely on its side, and she heard a clamor up above, where the drapery to the left side window was now hanging down.

"All Maudra? All Maudra!"

A blade pierced the tarp, cut it open and then dull, gray light spilled in. Rain water soon joined it, splashing on Seladon's pale, upturned face. A shadow filled the tear; a silhouette she recognized as a paladin's helmet. Seladon tried to right herself, thinking it had to be her Sly.

"All Maudra? Can you answer me?"

It was a female voice...the captain's. Seladon swallowed, and she gingerly tried moving. Nothing seemed broken, but her head was hurting on the left front side beneath her hairline. "Yes. I'm all right, more or less."

Seladon struggled into a sitting position, and she realized she'd actually landed against the drapes and tarp of the opposite window. That was probably fortunate for her; they'd cushioned her fall somewhat and her landing would have been harder if she'd struck a wall.

"I'm coming down to get you," called the captain. "Try not to move!"

Seladon looked around as the other female pulled away the barriers to widen the opening. She didn't hear Vaurin. Oh Thra...what if he'd been struck by lightning? What if whatever had stricken the carriage landed on top of him as well?

Seladon opened her mouth to ask where he was, and then she heard his beloved voice from somewhere further away outside, coming closer with the splash of footsteps in the mud.

"Seladon! Seladon!"

She called back, equally desperate. "Vaurin!"

"Hold!" The captain's command rang out firmly. "Stay where you are, Lieutenant. I will fetch her. We work together to help the All Maudra, in the interest of making her extraction from the wreckage as safe as possible."

"But—"

"That is an _order_, Lieutenant Vaurin," snapped the captain. She softened her tone. "Don't worry; I understand your personal concern. She'll be given to your care once she's safely out of there."

The captain dropped nimbly down into the carriage, hanging over the edge of the door by her hands for a moment to be sure she could get a foothold without accidentally stepping on the All Maudra. She hopped from the misplaced seats to the ceiling and then landed next to Seladon. The strands of the captain's silver-gold hair that peaked out from under her helm and hood were drenched and dulled with muddy water. Her face was lined with concern as she looked Seladon over.

"You're bleeding, my lady."

Seladon then realized there was a warm, slow trickle creeping down the left side of her head, from the sore spot under her hairline. "I must have scratched my head on something in the fall," she said as evenly as possible. "I'm all right."

"Can you stand?"

Seladon allowed the older female to help her to her feet, and though she felt unsteady, she could put weight on both legs. "Apparently so."

"All right, then." The captain squatted down and presented her back to her. "Climb on, my lady. Cling to my back, and I'll carry you out of here."

Seladon's pride rose up, and she nearly declined the offer and insisted on climbing out herself. She might have injuries that she hadn't yet noticed, though, and her back was sore from landing on it. Her right wing was starting to throb as well.

"Yes. Thank you."

Seladon tossed her pride away and hopped onto the paladin's back to be carried. She held on firmly as the captain reached for the rope that someone tossed down for her, and it only took a few pulls for the captain to scale it up to the opening. Thunder boomed overhead and the sky lit up with more lightning when they emerged. One of the other paladins helped the captain out, and another assisted Seladon in climbing off her back and down the side of the overturned carriage.

Through the pouring rain, Seladon saw Vaurin waiting with his arms outstretched. A quick, frantic scan of him assured her that he was unhurt, and she went into his embrace gladly. She felt a sickening throb in her wing as he held her close, but she didn't care. All formality was forgotten as the lovers held one another, equally relieved.

"Are you all right?" she said, speaking into the damp collar of his shirt.

"Yes, just a bit bruised." He pulled back to examine her, and his gaze fixated on the pink trickle of blood oozing down from her scalp. "You're injured, though."

"Nothing serious," she assured him, if only to calm his anxiety. Seladon looked around, blinking against the rain. "What happened?"

The armaligs had abandoned their assigned wheel rims, but they hadn't fled. She could see them near the trees off the road, huddled together and complaining. She also saw that the front part of the carriage was lying on top of a half-charred, smoking tree limb. The rain was dampening it enough to keep it from catching fire. They had apparently just reached the edge of the forested lands.

"Lightning brought down a tree branch," explained Vaurin. Someone placed a cloak over Seladon's shoulders as he spoke, and Vaurin situated it on her to protect her from the rain. "It fell in our path, right in front of your carriage. The driver tried to avoid it but he clipped the end of it with the front left wheel. Incidentally, that was what threw the carriage out of balance and tipped it over."

"Is the driver safe?"

"I'm unharmed, All Maudra," called out the driver from close by. He approached with a limp, bearing an aggrieved look on his face. He knelt before her in the mud and bowed his head. "Please forgive my incompetence! I tried to avoid it, but—"

"That will do," interrupted Seladon. "I doubt anyone could have done better. There was obviously no time to act, so apologies are pointless. You're clearly injured, so worry about your leg for now, not the accident."

He nodded again, and he struggled back to his feet with a pained grunt. One of the paladins came to his side to help him off the road, and Seladon turned to Vaurin. "Was anyone else injured?"

He shook his head. "No, my lady. Everyone dismounted fast as they could when the limb came down. I'm afraid we lost three of the land striders, though. They ran off before we could try to bring them back under control, spooked by the storm. I'm sure they'll make their way back eventually."

Seladon nodded. Land striders were loyal beasts, naturally attuned to the right call and trusting of gelfling in general. Even if they were reluctant to respond to gelfling calls, they would try to return to their herd mates.

The captain came over to them after she and several other paladins inspected the carriage. She bowed to Seladon and explained the situation. "All Maudra, I'm afraid we'll need to seek shelter and ride out this storm. With the right equipment we can return the carriage to its upright position, but we also must remove the limb that's wedged beneath it. We simply don't have the means to do that on hand, and it's dangerous for any of us to be out in the open under these conditions."

"I understand, Captain Nethrid. Have scouts seek out a spot for us to set up camp."

The captain gave a nod and a salute. "Yes, All Maudra."

As the captain went to relay orders, Vaurin fretted with Seladon's borrowed cloak.

"It isn't going to kill me to get a little wet," Seladon admonished.

"I know, but I still want to keep you as dry as possible," he answered.

He secured the cloak around her, and when she moaned in pain in response to the pressure against her right wing, Vaurin froze and looked at her with wide, worried eyes.

"What is it? Where does it hurt? Is it your back?"

"N-no," gasped Seladon. "Well, yes, but that's merely some bruising from how I landed. It's my right wing. I think I crushed it a bit."

"Damn. Why didn't you say something?"

"Because I was a bit preoccupied trying to climb out of that blasted carriage and ensure you were all right," she snapped. Immediately regretting her harsh words, she sighed. "Forgive me. This all happened so fast, and now that my shock is fading, the pain is more noticeable."

Vaurin cupped her face in his hands and kissed her softly. "I'm more upset that you waited to mention it. I'm used to hearing your sass, my lady."

Seladon managed a smirk. That was a polite way to put the way she could get when in a mood, but if he didn't accept that part of her personality, they wouldn't be together right now. "Then I apologize for that. We have no time to examine it right now, though. Protection from this storm is our priority."

He grimaced unhappily. "But—"

"There you go with the 'buts' again," interrupted Seladon dryly. "It's rather endearing because I know you have my best interests at heart, but my injuries aren't severe enough that they can't wait. We're all in danger out here."

He nodded, compressing his lips. "Well, if I can't see to it right away, I can at least get you out of the open. Put your arms around my neck."

Seladon complied impulsively, and she yelped in surprise when he scooped her up sidelong, supporting her under the knees with one arm and holding her around the shoulders with the other.

"Vaurin, it's my wing that's hurt, not my legs. I can walk on my own!"

He met her eyes, and he shook his head stubbornly. "Not while I can carry you."

"But—"

"Now who's spouting off the 'buts'." He smirked at her.

"You will wear yourself out carrying me," she breathed, charmed in spite of herself by this display of chivalry.

"Seladon, you're no heavier than a wisp," countered Vaurin. "I'll be fine. I just want to get you to a more sheltered spot until the camp is set up."

She snapped her mouth shut, unable to dispute that simple fact of anatomy. Female gelfling did weigh several stone less than their male counterparts. That was how they were able to fly. Besides, trying to talk him out of it would just waste time.

"Very well, my love."

* * *

They found a place to set up tents on higher ground, away from the road. There was a rock outcropping with an overhang that provided a decent wind buffer so that the tends and connective tarps had less chance of blowing away. No fire could be built due to the wet and windy conditions, but at least everyone had somewhere dry to sleep.

The gelfling travelers partnered up in their hide and plant-weave tents as soon as possible. They only set up six tents for the sake of time management and efficiency, so everyone grouped up in pairs or in three's to share the shelters.

Once they were inside their tent and more or less settled in, Vaurin gently examined Seladon. Lying on her stomach with her boots off, she tried not to complain. When he began to try and smooth out the crumple in her right wing, however, she gasped.

"I'm sorry," he murmured in remorse. "Ah, your poor wing! And that bump on your head will need to be looked at."

Seladon gingerly touched the small welt on her scalp where she'd collided with something in the fall. "It isn't bad. No worst than banging my head on a cabinet. The wing hurts, but they're quite resilient and heal fast."

"Can we at least splint it? Wrap it in something light but stiff enough to straighten it out?"

"Splints such as what you're thinking about are too heavy for gelfling wings," explained Seladon. "Don't worry, Vaurin. This won't cripple my flight for long. When we reach Stone in the Wood, there's a special wing salve that can be applied to it. More like a paste, really. It hardens as it dries, light but supportive of the wing structure to help it heal faster. Females use it all the time."

"Is there nothing I can do?"

Seladon pushed up off the floor of the tent, rising to a sitting position. Her stomach growled, and she recalled the sack of food his mother had gifted them with. "Something to eat for both of us would be nice. We shouldn't try to continue on with empty stomachs, but...food your mother packed is in the carriage."

That reminded Seladon of another gift Vaurin's mother had bequeathed, and she started feeling her clothes with frantic little pats.

"Seladon?" He was watching her with concern.

She started to speak, but she had to wait for a rumble of thunder to fade to be heard without shouting. "The comb. The one your mother gave me. It's gone! It isn't on me, but I had it in my pouch. Oh, no!"

"Shh, calm down, love." He stroked her face in his hands and kissed her. "It probably fell out when the carriage tipped. It can't be far."

"But it was an heirloom. It's precious to your family, and I'll never forgive myself if I've lost it barely a day after I've had it."

Vaurin glanced at the secured tent exit, and he nodded. "All right. I'll go down to the road and look for it and the snack bag she gave us. They're probably both still inside."

"But the weather..."

He smirked at her, and he wrung some water out of his side braid. "I don't think I could get much wetter than I am now. Besides, it's calmed a bit. I should take advantage of the break in the storm and go search now. I'll be careful."

She gave him an aggrieved look, and he shook his head. "No, don't do that, my lady. None of this was your fault. If anything, it was mine for thinking you'd be safer in the carriage."

"You couldn't have known that limb would fall in the road," she reasoned, no happier with him blaming himself. "It was perfectly reasonable to assume the carriage was the safer travel option."

He sighed. "Well, nothing can be done for it; at least not until morning. Just stay here and try to dry off. I'll be back soon, I promise."

* * *

Vaurin did find the food sack his mother gave them, but he couldn't locate the comb. He gently reminded her that it was dark and the interior of the carriage was a mess. There was no help for it, much as it grieved Seladon to accept. Vaurin stripped down to his breeches after returning to the tent so that he could hang his shirt up to dry.

They ate the food his mother had given them and Seladon had to admit, it was the best cheese she'd ever tasted. Vaurin grinningly said he told her so, and the shared meal provided a bit of cheer for them in the gloomy situation. It was certainly better than road rations.

Afterwards they bedded down together, and Seladon slept on top of her paladin so that she didn't have to lie flat on her stomach. Since she had injuries on both sides of her body, this was the most comfortable position for her. Vaurin's body fit against hers perfectly. The gentle embrace of his arms made her feel secure. The drone of his heartbeat against her ear soothed her, almost keeping time with the patter of rain once the thunder died down enough to hear it.

The pain in her wing hurt more than she'd let on, but this wasn't the first time Seladon had injured one of them. She knew it would fade, and she didn't want to take any medicine that might dull her senses. Sleep was a long time coming, but eventually her paladin's steady, even breathing and heartbeat lulled her into slumber.

* * *

The morning was gray with lingering clouds and occasional drizzle, and the ground hadn't had the chance to soak up the moisture. As such, their efforts to remove the fallen branch were further hampered. They tried rigging the armaligs with special harnesses that would allow them to ball up and roll while pulling on the ropes attached to them. While the beasts pulled, several paladins got on the other side of the branch and pushed. Though they tried with all their might, they only got the obstruction to budge a couple of hand spans before it got stuck again and the armaligs started getting mired in the mud.

"No good," panted Vaurin with a shake of his head. He and the other males joining in on the effort stopped, and Captain Nethrid halted the armaligs.

Vaurin wiped his brow with his sleeve, and he turned around to look up at Seladon, who was standing on an incline by the road. "We need some way to lift the front of the carriage up so that we can slide the branch out from under it."

She nodded, having come to the same conclusion. "Then we need to split the group up. Some should travel on ahead to Stone in the Wood, while the rest of us stay here to watch over things."

The rest of the group nodded amongst themselves, and the carriage driver spoke up. "Who should go and who should stay, All Maudra?"

Seladon looked them all over, considering the matter. They were all travel weary and bruised. Their efforts to free the carriage and turn it back over had taken a toll as well. Some were worse off than others though, and while it would be better in theory for the injured to get to Stone in the Wood as soon as possible for treatment, there was still over half a day's travel.

"Five of the fittest should go," decided Seladon. "On the backs of land striders, they should make it there before the suns begin to set, provided a swift pace is maintained. Captain, choose your paladins. The rest of us shall remain here and wait."

"All Maudra," cautioned the captain, "wouldn't it be best if you came with us? Your injuries—"

"Would only slow you down," interrupted Seladon. She glanced over her shoulder, tried to extend her right wing and winced. "The motions of a land strider would only jar me, and I'm sorry to admit the pain might eventually become unbearable. Better that I stay put until help arrives, and we can decide on the method of my transport afterwards."

Captain Nethrid frowned. "I don't feel comfortable leaving you here in the wilderness, All Maudra."

"Whether it makes you comfortable or not, that is my decision. Now do as commanded, choose your group and take enough rations with you to last until you arrive at your destination. Our remaining companions will be protection enough for me, so don't worry."

She nearly added that Vaurin wasn't included in the captain's choice of paladins to take with her, but it was clear by the way the woman looked between Seladon and him that she understood that already, without being told.

"As you command, All Maudra."

* * *

Vaurin tried again to find the missing comb for Seladon, but he had to abandon his attempt when the carriage—already further off balance from their earlier attempts to budge it—rocked dangerously. Seladon insisted that he get out of there, and she hoped to Thra the heirloom was still somewhere inside of it. A thorough search of the area around the carriage both on the road and off of it turned up nothing. Seladon even searched the campsite area, thinking perhaps she may have dropped it somewhere near there.

Vaurin finally intervened when she began to stagger, tears streaming down her face. He came up behind her and put his hands on her arms, gently stopping her search.

"That's enough, my lady. You're wet, in pain, you're frustrated and you must be hungry. All you're doing now is going in circles, and you'll make yourself sick at this rate."

Seladon heaved a sigh, and she nodded. Realizing the wetness on her face was from tears, she wiped hastily at her cheeks. "I just can't bear the thought of losing that beautiful gift."

"We _will_ find it," he promised her. "Everyone has a description of it and they've agreed to keep an eye out for it. I still think it's inside the carriage somewhere, but if not, we'll have the area searched again after we've gotten you to Stone in the Wood."

He put an arm around her waist, and he guided her up the hill, toward the campsite. "Come and sit under the shelter. They've got a small fire going now, and Lareca is making a broth for us out of some root vegetables she scavenged nearby. We can soak it up with our biscuit rations and it should make a decent meal."

Seladon nodded, subdued. Her mood was as dismal as the weather. She trod the damp ground with him, shivering in spite of herself. They made it to the rock outcropping where the tarp shelter had been propped up between the semi-circle of tents. The tarp was tilted enough to allow rain water to run off it onto the ground, away from the tents.

The idea of setting up the tarp canopy was to allow them to step outside of their tents to stretch, or to move between them, without getting wet. It also provided a dry community area for the group to socialize and share meals. Such was the gelfling way, and that seemed to be universal between the clans.

The others were sitting on another woven tarp they'd laid out on the ground beneath the shelter. A small campfire burned just outside the community shelter. Hanging over it from an apparatus with three chains was a small cooking kettle, and the paladin named Lareca was squatted near it, stirring the kettle with a spoon. She looked up when Seladon and Vaurin approached, and she gave them a welcoming smile.

"All Maudra, please join us for a meal. The broth should be ready soon." Lareca pointed toward the tent that Seladon had been sharing with her lover. "We retrieved your trunk from the carriage, my lady. You should change out of those wet clothes and into something dry."

Grateful if dispirited, Seladon thanked her softly. She allowed Vaurin to help her to the tent, and he held the flaps open for her so that she could slip inside with ease.

"What would you like to wear?" he called to her as she began to peel off her wet clothes. "Something green, perhaps? Or maybe light blue?"

"Something practical," she answered, tired of keeping up the appearance of the immaculate, regal princess. "There should be a gray and white riding gown in there, if you can find it."

She heard him rifling through her trunk, and after a moment he made a sound of triumph. "Found it. May I...come in?"

"Please do." She was tired of formalities, too. Tired of standing on ceremony and pretending that Vaurin was anything less than her mate. Besides, she didn't think she could get out of her clothing on her own with her wing like this, and that was another reason she'd asked for that particular riding gown.

He ducked inside, carrying the bundled gown under his arm. He secured the tent closed behind him, and he looked her up and down with a blend of concern and love in his eyes. Seated on the floor of the tent, Seladon met his gaze despondently.

"I...can't get this bodice or blouse off without help, I'm afraid."

Vaurin nodded with understanding, and he set the fresh clothes aside and joined her on the floor.

"I assumed that would be the case, but I know how independent you are. I didn't want to add insult to injury."

Some of the moroseness she was suffering went away, and she managed a smile for him. "You are the sweetest and most considerate partner I could have ever asked for." She finished unlacing the front of her bodice, but she couldn't reach the back. "Here, I'll turn around for you."

Vaurin was so careful when he unlaced the back of the item. It seemed to take so long, but Seladon didn't complain. Better for him to take his time than to accidentally pull on or nudge her wing. He used the same care when he helped her out of the blouse, then her boots and pants. For once, his gaze didn't linger on her nudity in a lustful way. Her paladin's only concern right now was to take care of her.

Vaurin dried her off with just as much care, wiping between her wings delicately with the towel, and leaving her front side to her. After some fussing and no small amount of finesse, they got her into the soft, comfortable riding gown and she had to admit that she felt much better.

"Leave the boots," decided Seladon when he reached for them to help her put them back on. "I will go barefoot."

"Are you serious?" He looked sincerely startled by the prospect.

"What? Do you think my bare feet have never touched the ground before?"

He grimaced a bit, and he scratched the back of his hood. "Um, well...I've only seen you barefoot once before, when we—"

Seladon shushed him with her fingertips, nearly smiling. "All right. Well for your information, I used to go about barefoot all the time. Every chance I got. That is, until my mother began scolding me and forbade me from doing it. I didn't have many opportunities to frolic about, once I came of age."

His gaze softened on her, and he nodded. "I know."

Of course he knew. He'd been watching over her since they'd both just come of age, and he'd felt her internal struggles through dreamfasting; as she had felt his.

"Well, best not to linger," Seladon decided, choosing not to dwell on an emotional subject and make herself more depressed. "That broth smells awfully good, and I'm famished."

He smiled, and he got up in a half-crouching position due to the low ceiling of the tent. He opened up the flap and he offered her a hand up. Seladon took it, and they joined the others under the community shelter. Broth was being spooned up into bowls and passed around, and the soft chatter died when Seladon and her paladin re-appeared.

"Here, All Maudra," offered Lareca, gesturing at a sitting pallet they'd prepared near the edge of the canopy, closest to the fire. "We saved the warmest spot for you. Wouldn't want you to catch a chill."

Aware of all the eyes on her, Seladon accepted it graciously. She overheard someone whisper about her bare feet, but she ignored it. Kneeling down onto the pallet, she sat back on her heels and nodded. She was instinctively falling back into formal behavior. "Thank you. Your altruism is most appreciated. Vaurin, please sit at my side."

"Yes, All Maudra," he answered, picking up on her mannerisms. He joined her, sitting cross-legged on her left.

"Here you are," said Lareca as she handed a wooden soup bowl and spoon to Seladon, and then another one to Vaurin. "I do hope you like it. I only had a little salt left to season it with, but it will warm us, at least."

"I'm sure it's wonderful," encouraged Seladon. She actually meant it, too. Lareca had gained a reputation as quite the cook and survivalist. She'd spent a trine with the Drenchen clan, and she'd learned skills in that time that enabled her to adapt to her environment, improvise and make a meal with meager ingredients.

"Here," offered one of the other paladins, passing a basket of ration biscuits to them.

Vaurin took one, and he offered a second to Seladon. When she took it, he set the basket down.

"All right then," said Lareca, collecting her own helping of each. "Who wants to say blessings?"

There was a hush amongst the group. Seladon felt a strange jolt, as if something was empowering her. "I will."

The other gelfling nodded in approval, and each of them bowed their heads. Seladon took a deep breath. It had been over a trine since she'd led a meal blessing, and she searched for words. She felt them waiting for her to speak; not from the mind, but from the heart.

"We give thanks to the soil that nourishes our crops. We give thanks to the rain that quenches thirst for all life. We give thanks to the brothers for their warmth and light, and we give thanks to the plants that sprang from them all, to provide us with the meal we are about to eat. We give thanks to Thra above all, for making these things possible. Praise be to Thra for these gifts."

"Praise be to Thra," repeated her companions, each lifting their bowls.

"Well spoken, All Maudra," complimented Lareca.

"Yes," agreed Vaurin softly, smiling at her. "_Very_ well spoken."

Seladon flushed, unsure of what had inspired her to speak so passionately. To her, it sounded more like a farmer's blessing than anything she would ordinarily hear at the table in the citadel. It seemed more honest than the simple blessings to Thra she'd grown up hearing, though.

As they ate, the All Maudra wondered what sort of person she was becoming. For the first time, that question didn't frighten her.

* * *

-To be continued


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seladon's injury is worse than she realized, and the urgency to get her safely to Stone in the Wood is multiplied. Hup saves the day, earning Seladon's eternal gratitude and respect. New proposals are made and traditional ways are put into question. Seladon learns some new things about herself that she hadn't expected, and what starts out as a beautiful morning soon becomes a harbinger of ominous possibilities.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, this chapter turned out to be looong. It's stuffed full of content ranging from drama to cuteness to sexy time to grim portent. I hope you enjoy the ride!

Seladon accepted Lareca's offer of a medicinal tea that the paladin made from the bark of some tree she'd found in the forest, only because she was aching so badly she doubted she would get any rest without it. She braced herself as she settled in for the night with Vaurin, waiting for some horrible reaction to set in. Nothing bad happened, though. The pain and throbbing faded enough for her to rest, and it didn't have a sedating effect on her as she'd feared.

It felt like she'd only been asleep for a little while when she heard a ruckus from outside. Seladon woke with a soft groan, lifting her head off her paladin's chest. The interior of the tent was pitch black. Footsteps were rapidly approaching from outside, and she impulsively reached for the sheathed dirk she'd placed near the sleeping pallet.

Vaurin jerked awake, and he too reached for a weapon. He eased her off of him and rolled into a crouching position. His blade slid from its sheath when someone rapped on their tent front. Seladon recognized the hushed voice of one of the paladins in their camp.

"Lieutenant, someone is coming!"

Vaurin's shadowed form turned to face Seladon. "Stay here for now, and I'll investigate."

Seladon wanted to object, but as stiff and sore as she was, she wouldn't have been much help despite the fighting skills she'd learned. She nodded, and she waited while he hastily yanked his shirt on and opened the tent to duck out. She kept her dirk at ready while she listened to hushed conversation between her lover and their camp mates. She saw some faint luminance shining through the tent opening, bobbing from somewhere off in the trees.

There were raised voices, and Seladon's ears perked when she recognized one of them calling out from down the hill.

"Hello? Is anyone here?"

Brea. Her sister was there.

"All Maudra," hollered Captain Nethrid, "We have returned with aid! Comrades, stand down. It's only us!"

Predictably, the tent flap was yanked open and Vaurin bent over to look in and speak to Seladon. "You can come out, my lady."

Someone had lit a glow lantern, and it backlit Vaurin enough for Seladon to see him reaching for her. Seladon took his hand and climbed out of the tent with him. Straightening up beside her betrothed, Seladon stood with the others and watched the bob of approaching lanterns weaving their way through the bushes and trees down the hill. The captain stepped into view first, and close behind her was Brea, Rek'yr and Kylan.

Forgetting she was still barefoot, Seladon stumbled toward her sister with relief. "Brea!"

"Seladon!"

The two met halfway and embraced beneath the tarp canopy. Seladon cried out softly as her injured wing was squeezed in the hug, and Brea immediately released her.

"Oh, I'm sorry! They told us you were injured. I shouldn't have hugged you so tightly."

"It's my wing," explained Seladon, glancing over her right shoulder. "When the carriage toppled, I fell on my back. I must have landed on it wrong and crushed it."

Brea sighed and looked her up and down. "You've clearly been through an ordeal. How is your head?"

Seladon felt along the left side of her fringe. "Sore, but it's only a bump and a scratch. I'll be fine with some treatment and rest. Who else came with you?"

"Practically everyone." Brea smiled. "I couldn't convince them otherwise. They're by the road now with Lore, trying to work out how to get the carriage righted. Two of your missing land striders came back, by the way. They were with the others near the road when we arrived."

"Perhaps the third will return as well, though I have my doubts. If it didn't return with the others, then something must have happened to it."

"The suns will be rising soon," announced Rek'yr with a thoughtful glance at the sky. "We should have enough light to see by soon."

Seladon also looked up, surprised. She hadn't thought she'd slept that long; more time had passed than expected. "What have you brought with you that might help us free the carriage?"

Captain Nethrid spoke up. "Plenty of rope, some axes and saws to cut the branch down to a more manageable size, and a cart. Princess Brea thinks that Lore can lift the front end of the cart up enough for us to haul the branch out from under it, once we've cut away enough."

Brea nodded. "And we can use the pieces we cut away from the branch as wheels. If we can position them under one end of the branch, it should roll over them and make it easier to load onto the cart."

Seladon smiled wanly at her sister. "Leave it to you to come up with something inventive. I...oh..."

Her shoulder throbbed in the back where her wing connected to it, the pain radiating from the injury and spreading further. Vaurin immediately came to her side, and he took a lantern from one of the other paladins and asked Seladon to hold still. Brea reached out to steady her as Vaurin gently probed around the base of Seladon's wing.

The All Maudra choked as fresh pain flared up, so severe that her legs nearly buckled.

"I'm so sorry," Vaurin apologized, and then he spoke to their watching companions. "It's enflamed. I can see the redness around it through the slit in the back of her garment. We _must_ get the All Maudra to a healer as quickly as possible."

Infection. That might explain why she felt so weak, and why she wasn't feeling the cold even though everyone's breath was fogging the air. Brea confirmed the suspicion when she felt Seladon's forehead and looked at her with wide-eyed concern.

"You're feverish, sister. Let me see your wing!"

Brea didn't wait for Seladon to respond or turn around; instead she circled around behind her to stand next to Vaurin. "This is definitely infected. It looks like you have a tear in one of the veins and it spread from there. Probably because it wasn't properly cleaned or treated."

"Damn," spouted Vaurin. "The captain was right; we should have sent her with the group when they left to get help from Stone in the Wood."

"This is not your fault," Seladon told him, turning around to face him. "It isn't anyone's fault. You have no training in medicine and I couldn't see to determine how bad it was myself. I didn't feel any warning signs of infections when we bedded down for the night, or I might have asked Lareca to have a closer look at it."

"Forgive me," said Lareca regretfully. "I should have done more than offer that bark tea for the pain, All Maudra!"

"I don't want to hear another word of self blame from any of you," insisted Seladon, leaning gratefully into Vaurin when he went to her left side and put a supportive hand around her waist. "There are many things that could have been done but weren't. Had I not been so focused on finding my comb, I might have been more attentive to my own condition."

"A comb?" Brea circled back around to look at her incredulously. "Your carriage tipped over! You might have been struck by lightning! Your wing is crushed and you were stranded for nearly two days! Thra knows _what_ might have happened to you, and you were worried about the state of your hair? How vain can you be, Seladon?"

"I wasn't worried about my hair," snapped Seladon, finding her sister's tirade disturbingly similar to the ones she herself used to have, she now understood how Brea must have felt when Seladon was harsh with her. "The comb was a gift. An heirloom. Mother gave it to me while I was in Ha'rar!"

Brea blinked, her amber eyes going round. "M-mother? Seladon, that isn't possible. She's—"

"I don't mean _our_ mother," Seladon tried to explain. Now her head was throbbing. "I mean the other one."

Brea looked even more confused...and concerned. She spoke sidelong to Rek'yr while watching Seladon as if she'd announced she was running away with the Sifa. "Oh, she's even worse off than I thought! I think she's delusional!"

"I can clear this up," offered Vaurin.

"Well I hope somebody can, because unless she means Mother Aughra—which is also impossible because she's waiting in Stone in the Wood—she's making no sense!"

"Can I tell her?" Vaurin asked, looking to Seladon.

"Yes," sighed the All Maudra. "By all means. I haven't the energy to explain further."

"Tell me what?"

"Brea, for _once_ be quiet for long enough to hear the answer before you ask more questions," snapped Seladon.

The younger sibling closed her mouth, folded her arms over her chest and looked at the red paladin expectantly.

"She meant _my_ mother," clarified Vaurin. He nuzzled the crown of Seladon's head, and then he kissed it. "Princess, your sister and I are going to be life mates. During our time gathering information about the state of our homeland, Seladon agreed to take me as her husband. Of course my mother was thrilled to hear the news, and she gifted your sister with a comb that's been passed down from mother do daughter in my family for generations."

"I lost it somewhere," finished Seladon softly, her regret swelling again, "after the carriage tipped. That's why I was so intent on finding it; not because I wanted to primp."

"Oh." Brea looked remorseful for her earlier accusation, and then suddenly startled. She looked between Seladon and Vaurin, eyes going wide again. "Oh! You two...are you really...?"

"Yes," confirmed Seladon. "We intend to make it official by the customs of our clan, once we return to Ha'rar with those who wish to go back with us. Vaurin is going to be a part of our family, and we'll be part of his."

The princess' smile was radiant, and she clapped her hands in delight. "Seladon! Thra, I am _so_ happy for you! This is such wonderful news and—"

"Brea," interrupted Seladon in a stern tone.

"...and now isn't the time," finished Brea, calming herself. "Right. Celebrations later. The priority now is to get you safely to Stone in the Wood so that someone can properly treat you. Um...I know it would be difficult, but maybe if you rode with your betrothed, he could support you against his body?"

"That might work," said Vaurin. "You could ride in front of me, but facing me rather than forward. It isn't the most dignified seat for a lady, but it would put no pressure on your wing and I could try to make it as comfortable a journey as possible."

"We could try padding," suggested Rek'yr.

"But what if her condition worsens along the way?" asked Lareca. "There would be nowhere except the side of the road to lay her down and see to her."

"That's true," sighed Brea. "Maybe if we..."

Her sister's voice faded to a hum in her ears, and Seladon could hear nothing else over the pounding in her head. She heard Vaurin call out, felt his arms go around her, and she was being lifted into his arms. She looked up at his worried face, and she tried to reassure him.

Everything faded to blackness.

* * *

When Seladon woke again she was in a bed, lying on her stomach. It was a soft bed, familiar. She opened her eyes slowly, struggling to focus her vision and figure out where she was. She was covered from the waist down, and she reached down to feel the blanket. Hand quilted, thick and soft. When her eyes came into focus, she recognized her surroundings.

Maudra Fara's home, where Seladon had been staying since the battle for Stone in the Wood. She knew the curved ceilings, supported by beams carved with Stonewood symbols of hearth, home and protection. She knew the alcove she lay under; not quite a separate bedroom but a distinct little nook with curtains that could be drawn for privacy. The charming wooden floors. The little stone fireplace set into the wall of the common area. The round wooden table for eating and drinking, and the kitchen alcove with its stone ceiling and floors to absorb heat from the stove.

Seladon had always appreciated the rustic, cozy feel of the place. How had she arrived here, though? The last thing she could recall was falling, seeing Vaurin's handsome, anxious face staring down at her.

She heard someone crossing the floor in the common room, and her sister came into view. Brea must have been near the window that couldn't be seen from the bedroom alcove. The one near the rocking chair that Fara surely must have sat in often, with Baffi in her lap.

"Brea?" Seladon's voice cracked. She could barely recognize it.

The princess was preoccupied as usual, reading a book. She looked up immediately upon hearing Seladon call her name.

"Oh Seladon, you're awake!" Brea hastily put her book on the table and rushed to the bed. She went to her knees and took Seladon's reaching hand. "Thank Thra. I was beginning to wonder if you _ever_ would. I'd even hoped that a kiss from your paladin would wake you. You know, like in the stories Mother used to read us about the princess waking from a kiss of true love? But he kissed you so many times and you never woke."

"I'm awake now, but I rather wish I wasn't," stated Seladon dryly. "Stop chattering and tell me. How long have I been unconscious?"

"Three whole moons," sighed Brea. "Since you lost consciousness at the encampment."

"How did I get here? Oh, my throat is so dry."

"Just a moment. I'll fetch you some water."

Seladon had no choice but to wait. She didn't know what condition her wing was in, so she was afraid to try and roll onto her side or back. It did feel much better, though there was a telling sting that suggested someone had been applying salve to it.

Brea came back from the kitchen area with a wooden cup in her hands, filled from the pitcher of water sitting on the counter by the window. She set the cup down on the floor and considered the older female. "Do you think you can sit up?"

Seladon nodded. "I can try. Help me."

Brea obliged her, waiting for Seladon to prop herself up on her side and then taking her hand to assist her into a sitting position. The younger sister quickly piled pillows up between Seladon's back and the curving headboard of the bed. "There. How's that?"

Seladon nodded. "Better." She realized that her hair had been woven into a single long side braid, falling over her left shoulder. She picked up the braid curiously and looked to her sister for an answer.

"It was easier to nurse your wing with your hair out of the way," Brea explained, handing the water to her. "I did it myself when we realized it would be more ideal."

"I see." Seladon sipped at the cool water and, finding it delightfully refreshing, she drank more. She drained the cup before handing it back to her sister and speaking again. "Now, tell me what happened."

"Don't you want to know how I braided your hair, first?" Brea was grinning at her slyly.

"I assume you used a brush and a comb, and then you wove the strands together the way any braid would be woven."

"Ah." Brea got off the edge of the bed and went over to the little set of drawers near the alcove.

Seladon groaned. "I think you do this to me on purpose, you brat. Are you going to tell me what happened or shall we sit here all day talking about braiding techniques?"

"Just a moment." Brea opened a drawer and retrieved something, which she hid behind her back as she returned to join her on the bed. "As I was trying to say: yes, I did use a comb to fashion your hair. This one!"

Brea withdrew the item she was hiding behind her back, and Seladon's eyes widened. It wasn't just any comb, it was _the_ comb. The very one she'd thought was lost to her. She took it from her sister when Brea offered it to her, and Seladon examined it with disbelief.

"You found it! I can hardly believe it!"

"Actually, Hup found it," corrected Brea.

"Hup?" Seladon was puzzled. "I don't recall seeing him there when you arrived at our campsite."

"He was with Lore by the carriage," explained Brea. "Our plan worked. We cut the branch down, and Lore was able to lift the front of the carriage off of it so that we could get it onto the cart and secure it. With the help of the armaligs, we got it out from underneath and then we used rope and the land striders to turn it back upright. Of course it was a bit of a mess inside, so Hup climbed in to tidy it up while we prepared a stretcher to bring you to it."

"Where was it? Vaurin searched twice and never found it."

"Wedged between the seat cushions," answered Brea. "It must have fallen out of your pouch at some point during your journey, and you probably sat on it. Anyway, Hup overheard me telling everyone to keep an eye out for a fancy comb. The next thing I knew, he popped his head out of the carriage and waved it at me. 'Dis comb?' he asked."

Seladon smiled. "I have never been so grateful to have that spoon-wielding podling in our ranks. I shall have to thank him personally when I see him again."

"I'm sure he would like that," agreed Brea.

"He deserves some reward for finding it, as well," Seladon mused. "What sort of things does he like? I have to give him something to show my appreciation."

Brea sighed. "You can't give him what he truly wants, you know."

"Deet," guessed Seladon. "No, I can't conjure her up from wherever she is, but there must be something he's fond of. Mother already declared him a paladin, so what else is there?"

"Hmm. Well, he is awfully fond of spoons. Maybe you could have a special one made for him? One that won't break easily. He's forever replacing them."

"Then something like silverware," reasoned Seladon, "but sturdier, and engraved with the symbol of the paladin order. It should have a solid wooden handle of course, but it should be full tang, like a good sword."

"That's a brilliant idea! Hup would be knocked out of his cute little socks if you did that."

"I'll see it done," vowed Seladon. "I'm sure there's someone here in Stone in the Wood that could craft it for me before we return to Ha'rar."

Brea sobered at once. "Oh. Yes. You're going again."

Seladon studied her, suspecting she already knew the answer to the question she asked next. "You aren't coming with us?"

Brea bit her lip, and she looked around. "I know it's my duty as a princess of the clan, but I fell like we've done so much good here and my earlier misgivings haven't changed."

"I understand," soothed Seladon. She gently placed her precious comb on the little bedside stand nearby. "I wouldn't try to force you. In fact, I think it's better that you stay here."

"You do?" Brea had dropped her eyes to her lap, but now she lifted them to regard Seladon with surprise.

"You could still do some good here. The Stonewood are still without a Maudra, unless they elected one while I was out."

"No, they haven't."

Seladon nodded. "That's another reason why I shouldn't stay, even if I weren't needed at home. I think my presence here as the All Maudra has made them too complacent in choosing who will take Maudra Fara's place. Why should they bother when the Maudra of all clans is here?"

"I see your logic," sighed Brea.

"I feel like the longer I stay here, the more they'll put it off. The same goes for the other Maudras that are still here. Each clan needs a Maudra of its own. I see that now. The title isn't as meaningless as I had come to believe in my first days trying to find my place in this changed world. I can't leave them completely without a figure of authority to advise them, however. Between you and Rian, I think they would have that need met."

"I don't know what to say," admitted Brea. "I was flattered that you trusted me to watch over this place while you were gone, but this goes beyond that."

Seladon reached out to squeeze Brea's hand. "I trust you. It's time for you to step out of your comfort zone. I have seen you advise our people. I have seen them listen to your words. You've set a good example and I want you to keep doing that."

A blush spread across the younger female's cheeks. "I'll try my best not to disappoint you, Seladon."

Seladon nodded. "Good. You'll stumble, I'm sure. That's part of it, and I've come to think of my mistakes as a lesson to learn from." She smiled. "And if anyone is good at learning things, it's you."

Brea's lip quivered, and she gave Seladon a careful, gentle embrace. "I love you, Seladon."

"And I love you," replied the older sister. She pulled back to look at Brea, and she reached out to smooth a loose strand of shiny hair back into place on her sister's head. "Now, we've gotten off track. What happened after Hup found the comb?"

"Oh, we got you into the carriage and your paladin—or should I say your _husband_—rode with you the entire way. He wouldn't let you out of his sight. One of your paladins made a poultice to put around the base of your wing to try and bring the swelling down. It must have done some good, because your condition didn't worsen on the way here. Mother Aughra took care of you once we got here. She mixed salves to draw out the infection, treated your wing and showed Vaurin and I how to take care of you."

"Is Mother Aughra still here?"

"I'm afraid not. She had to leave again yesterday. She told us to send out messengers to all of the clans with the description Vaurin gave us of the creature you found, so we did. Now everyone will have warning, thanks to you."

"It was more thanks to Vaurin," Seladon insisted. "He was brave enough to let that small Arathim speak through him so that I could ask it questions. We would have had little to go by if not for that."

"It must have been horrifying for him," reasoned Brea.

"It was. He did it regardless of his fear, though."

"For you," guessed Brea with a smile.

Seladon shrugged.

"All right, so I've told you all there is to know about how we got you here." Brea took both of Seladon's hands, and she scooted a little further up on the bed, closer to her. "Now _you_ have to tell me how it happened between you and your paladin? How did he propose? Did he get down on one knee? Did he best an opponent in a duel for your hand? Oh! Did he create a song for you? Some gelfling do that to impress their love interests, you know."

Seladon raised a brow at her. "Just what sort of books have you been reading, Brea?"

The younger sister shrugged. "I just can't imagine you accepting anything less than the most grand gesture from a suitor."

"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but none of what you described happened. To be honest, we proposed to each other."

Brea tilted her head. "How does that work?"

"Almost accidentally." Seladon smirked. "He introduced me to his grieving family as the woman he hoped would have him as her husband one day. I then informed the physician that treated him after the ordeal with the Arathim that we were betrothed. It was a mutual agreement."

"Oh." Brea looked crestfallen. "I thought for _sure_ with the effort he was making to gain your trust that he would do something more...well...grand."

"Trust me, everything that man has done since our courtship started is more grand than any silly storybook definition of the word."

Brea perked up. "All right, so what made you decide he really was the one, then?"

"I took your advice."

Brea frowned, and then she snapped her fingers. "You asked him the question! What was his answer?"

Seladon rolled her eyes. "What do you think, pest?"

"But how did he say it?" persisted Brea.

Seladon smiled a little at the memory. She met her sister's gaze, and she held one hand up, palm up. "Dreamfast with me, and see it for yourself. Words aren't enough by themselves to describe it."

Brea looked a little shocked, but it was too juicy an opportunity for her to pass up. She did as Seladon asked, and she saw that moment when Vaurin met Seladon at the carriage and answered "yes", with such passion and longing in his eyes, before she could even finish asking the question.

It was a short dreamfast, because what happened after that was too deeply personal, something for just Seladon and her paladin. When they broke contact, there were tears in Brea's eyes.

"I told you," sniffed the princess. "I _told _you he loved you that night when he brought Baffi home to you."

Seladon nodded, also teary-eyed from revisiting that intense moment again. "Yes you did." She wiped at her eyes and composed herself. "And yes, you were right. Go on, get it out of your system. You've earned bragging rights."

Brea heaved a sigh that almost sounded annoyed. "Ugh, I'm too emotional to brag. Give me a moment. Thra, that was beautiful."

Brea took a few deep breaths, and then she looked at the slant of the sunlight coming in through the windows. "Speaking of your incredibly romantic husband—"

"He's not my husband just yet," reminded Seladon.

"Nonsense. He's your husband. You just haven't had the chance to form the pair bond or have the ceremony. As I was saying; he and I have been taking turns watching over you. He's actually here most of the time, but when he needs to go on patrol or guard duty, I take over."

"I see. Thank you for your diligence, Brea."

"Well, he should be—"

The front door opened, and both women paused and looked to see the object of their conversation walking through it in full uniform. He turned to close the door behind him, and he spoke in a casual, absent manner that suggested it had become routine for him.

"Princess Brea, I'm home. Has there been any change in her condition?" He removed his helmet, tucking it under his arm, and he tugged his hood down.

"...and there he is," whispered Brea, "with perfect timing."

"Princess?" The paladin paused, turning around with a frown.

"As a matter of fact," said Brea gleefully as Vaurin stared straight at Seladon with a stunned expression on his face, "there _has_ been a change in her condition!"

Vaurin took one step, then another. His eyes stayed locked on Seladon as he advanced almost as if he was walking in his sleep.

"Hello," greeted Seladon with a smile. How could she miss the sight of that handsome face so much when she'd woken up thinking she had just seen him a short while ago?

Her greeting apparently jolted something inside of him, because he went from taking small, hesitant steps to long, hurried strides. Brea yelped, jumped off of the bed and got out of the way when it became apparent that the paladin saw only Seladon, and he stumbled the rest of the way, sitting down to take Brea's place without even acknowledging the younger sister's presence.

Seladon wouldn't have scolded him for being so rude even if she could have found her voice to do it. There was so much emotion in those pale amber eyes of his. Disbelief, passion, love and a little bit of fear. Vaurin swallowed, licked his lips as if they were dry, and his eyes searched hers as he cupped her face in his hands. Finally, he said something.

"Hi. Wife."

Now Seladon swallowed, feeling her throat tightening. "Husband," she whispered back, smiling. She cupped his face in her hands, mimicking his actions.

"How...long?" he asked tightly. "How long have you...been awake? Why was I not...told?"

"Not long," she answered, stroking his jaw, his chin, those sensitive lips, "though it seems like longer, since Brea began talking my ear off the moment I opened my eyes."

Vaurin gave a little start, turning his head to look at Brea—who was standing a safe but observant distance away. "Oh. I apologize for being such a brute, Princess."

"No, don't apologize," Brea said. "Don't mind me at all! I'll just go now."

Brea almost tripped backing away, but she wasn't in a hurry to go. Seladon couldn't spare any more attention for her, because her paladin had returned his attention to her. He was looking at her with utter worship in his eyes.

"Thra, I missed looking at you, hearing your voice."

"According to Brea, you've been here constantly," Seladon gently chided, "so you've looked at me every day."

"Yes, but this is the first time you've looked _back_ at me since your collapse. First time you've spoken, too."

He cupped her face in his hands again, and then his lips covered her own. The kiss went on for several moments before he pulled away to look at her again. "How do you feel? What can I get for you?"

Right now, Seladon didn't want anything except him. She couldn't spend her first day awake acting like a lovesick girl though—even if that was exactly what she was. "I'm still a little groggy and stiff from lying in one place for so long, but I'm otherwise well. I don't need anything right now, Vaurin. I just want to talk with you and be near you."

"Of course," he agreed. "You must be hungry and thirsty, though. I should fetch you some food and drink, and then we can talk."

"Honestly, I don't think my appetite has woken yet. More water would be good, though."

He kissed her again. "Right away. You should try to eat something, though. Build your strength back up. Perhaps some light broth to sip on for a start?" He started to get up, but he hesitated. "I...I'm actually afraid to let you out of my sight just yet. I feel like if I do, I'll wake up to find I only dreamed this moment."

They had both forgotten about Brea, until she spoke up. "I'll go and see what they have at the community pavilion. I'm sure someone is preparing dinner there by now. No need for you to go anywhere, Vaurin."

"Oh, Brea." Startled, Seladon looked at her sister. "I didn't realize you were still here."

"I was lingering," she admitted with a smile. "Leave the food to me, though! I'll bring something back for both of you. Perhaps sharing a meal together will wake that appetite of yours."

"Thank you, Princess," said Vaurin.

Brea finally left, and he turned back to Seladon. "Now, where were we? Ah, I think we were here..."

He closed in for another kiss, withdrew, and kissed her again more deeply. Seladon smiled against his lips and put her arms around his shoulders. They stayed like that, kissing tenderly to make up for lost time. It went on for so long that before they knew it, Brea was back with a basket full of goods.

"Have you two even stopped to breathe since I left?" teased the princess.

Vaurin broke the kiss, a little breathless. "Apologies again, Princess. I can't very well kiss her back to health."

"No, no," insisted Brea, setting the basket down on the table. "I was only having fun with you. By all means, kiss her cross-eyed if you want. You both obviously need it. I'm just going to leave this here for you. We were in luck; they were just starting with supper and when I told Kylan the good news, he immediately filled a gourd with some broth he'd helped to prepare. There is also fresh fruit, bread and some tarts for a sweet finish."

She paused on her way to the door, looked back at them and offered some advice. "Just don't neglect to eat when you've sated your kissing needs, all right? I'll be back later with some more so that you don't have to set foot outside of the house again until tomorrow. Seladon's wing salve is in the beside stand drawer."

"You're too thoughtful," complimented Vaurin. "I'm in your debt, Princess."

"You _must_ start calling me Brea outside of social settings," chided the princess. "After all, I'm practically your sister now."

"I'll try to remember that...Brea."

Brea was all smiles. "I know Seladon is in good hands. Try not to ravish her."

"I won't," he agreed. "Yet."

Brea giggled. "Goodbye for now."

Seladon breathed a sigh of relief when her sister left a second time, closing the door behind her. "We should lock that," she suggested. "Word is out that I am awake and it wouldn't surprise me if people start trying to drop in for a visit, or with requests. I'm in no condition or mood to hold audience with anyone save you and my chatty sister right now."

He nodded. "Yes, I know all too well the demands you face." He kissed her again. "I'll go and lock the door as requested, and then I'll pour you some water and we'll share a meal together."

"Thank you."

He kissed her again, and again after that. Seladon chuckled with delight. "I thought you were going to lock the door and fetch food and drink?"

"Sorry. I just can't seem to stop myself."

Vaurin cleared his throat and got up to take care of things. While he did that, Seladon searched around for her hand mirror. She sighed in frustration when she couldn't find it. It was probably still in her trunk. Her paladin returned with the basket, a bowl he'd retrieved from the shelves in the kitchen and the pitcher of water.

"What are you looking for, my lady?"

"My mirror," admitted Seladon. "I must look a fright."

He shook his head and smiled. "No, you look beautiful. I'll find your mirror for you all the same after we've eaten, along with any other beauty accessories you may want."

"Thank you," she said, feeling a little embarrassed. "I must seem like such a vain gelfling, as my sister accused when they found us."

"Not at all," he assured her. "Just a lady who's accustomed to looking her best. Every girl I've known has some sort of beauty routine. Probably why you all have such shiny hair and soft skin."

"Just so I'm the only one whose beauty routines you make note of from now on," stated Seladon warningly, only half teasing.

"Absolutely," he agreed. He sat down on the edge of the bed again, placing the basket on the floor and the bowl inside of it. The pitcher he set on the bedside table next to her comb. "I see you've found your comb."

"Yes, Brea gave it to me and told me everything. I'm so relieved."

"Good. I told you we would find it, love. Now you can stop fretting." Instead of starting in immediately on the food and drink, he opened the drawer to fetch the jar of salve for her wing. "Let's take a moment to have a look at you, all right? I want to keep to the routine. Can you turn around for me?"

Seladon nodded, and she scooted around so that she was facing the window beside the bed, putting her back to him. She heard him open up the jar, and a little tingle raced through her as he laid gentle fingers on her right wing, tracing the veins to the bottom.

"Any pain?" Vaurin asked.

"Only a slight sting."

The touch went away for a moment, and then returned, wet and slick. "Hold still. This will only take a moment."

She again nodded, and she bowed her head as her lover spread the salve over her wing, layering it more at the outer edge where most of the damage had been done. It soon warmed under the touch, soothing away lingering hurt. It felt good.

"Are you going to take up medicine now, my love? You have the touch for it."

"That's because I'm touching you," he answered softly. "Though I daresay my knowledge of wound treatment has improved, thanks to Mother Aughra."

"Mm, well whatever the case, it's very soothing. How does it look?"

"Much better," he assured her. "Wings really _do_ heal fast. I was so worried, but you should be flying again in no time."

"We can even lose one and it would grow back," Seladon informed him. She looked over her shoulder to see him still examining her wing closely. He looked fascinated and diligent at once. "Don't worry, my paladin."

He glanced up and met her eyes, and he smiled. "I'll try not to. You have the most beautiful wings. They catch the light more than any others I've seen."

Seladon leaned back gladly as he closed in for another kiss. He was careful not to press up against her back as he slipped one arm around her, under her rib cage. Their tongues touched, and he made a low sound of desire in his throat before releasing her.

"I need to have a care for your condition," he breathed. "Too much of that, and I'll get careless."

"I wouldn't object." Seladon smirked at him, and then she turned back around to face him.

He stared at her for a moment, desire warring with devotion in his gaze. He broke eye contact with a little shake, and he retrieved the wooden cup to fill it with water. "Drink, my lady. I'll pour some broth. It should still be nice and hot."

Seladon sipped at the water while he filled the bowl from the kitchen with the steaming broth. Vaurin waited for her to drink her fill of water before trading off with her. "Please," he encouraged, nodding at the bowl in her hands. "Just a little bit. If it settles well enough, I'll pour you some more of it and you can try soaking some of it up with the bread."

Seladon cooperated with him, even though she still had no appetite. They talked about the goings-on as he ate with her keeping the conversation relatively light, while touching on matters of politics, defense and travel preparations. Seladon managed to finish two small bowls of broth, a slice of bread and half a piece of segmented fruit before she was too full to eat more.

Afterwards Vaurin cleaned up and put the leftovers back in the basket for later. They talked some more, kissed a lot and held hands as they discussed their plans for the future.

"You will stay here tonight with me?" Seladon asked him at last.

He kissed the palm of her left hand. "Try and stop me. I've stayed every night since we got back when I haven't been posted for watch duty."

Seladon looked around. "Where did you sleep?"

"In the rocking chair." He shrugged. "It wasn't bad, actually."

"Well, there's no need for you to do that any longer. There's room enough for both of us in this bed."

He nodded in agreement. "I think I can behave myself until you've recovered your strength."

"How do you know _I_ can do the same?" Seladon teased.

"I'll just have to give you gentle reminders," he answered with a brief kiss, "and armor myself against your charms."

* * *

True to his word, Vaurin stayed the night with her. Seladon hid her disappointment when he didn't undress completely for bed, changing instead into a pair of soft leggings popular amongst males as sleep pants. He held her, kissed her but kept his touches chaste as promised. He had to leave early the next morning for assigned patrol, but Brea showed up before he finished getting ready to take his place.

The two of them exchanged information like a pair of healers trading shift duty. Vaurin told her how much Seladon had eaten and drank, informed her that he'd already applied her wing salve and let her know she hadn't eaten breakfast yet. He then kissed Seladon goodbye, promised to be back by lunch and left the princess in charge of her care.

They really had established a routine together, and while it made Seladon feel slightly alienated to be discussed like a patient, she was also quietly impressed with how efficient and diligent they were. Brea prepared oatmeal for breakfast, combed and re-braided Seladon's hair for her and—to the All Maudra's chagrin—helped her to the chamber pot when she needed to relieve herself.

It was humbling, but Seladon took it in stride and reminded herself that she was blessed to have two people that loved her so much.

After a couple of days, Seladon was able to bathe herself, dress herself and walk without assistance. She'd learned that Brea had been giving her sponge baths each day while she was unconscious, which explained why she didn't feel terribly grimy when first waking up. Stone in the Wood did have a community bath house she could have used, but Seladon was used to having privacy when bathing, so she settled for washing her body with a sponge from a bucket.

She began to step out and socialize, finding herself almost immediately greeted with well wishes and inquiries of her health by every gelfling she crossed paths with. Her first trip was to the local smithy to make her custom request for Hup's gift. She paid them half in advance and agreed to pay the rest upon completion; plus a bonus if they finished her order in a timely manner and to her satisfaction.

With that goal in the works, Seladon focused her attention on matters of the clans, the migration plan and other matters of the realms. She called for a meeting as soon as she felt strong enough to hold an audience with the Maudras that still remained in Stone in the Wood. Maudra Argot was the only one not to attend, as she and the other Grottan returned to the Caves of Grot after getting news that the Darkening had retreated there.

Fortunately the council chamber was again open to them for such meetings now. The departure of the Grottan opened up more room for the unfortunate Drenchen seeking haven, so there was no longer currently a shortage of housing.

* * *

"First," Seladon announced to the assembly, "We must discuss our individual responsibilities to our clans and homelands. As of now, nothing further can be done to advance the resistance. The Skeksis demonstrated in the battle for Stone in the Wood that they aren't above or incapable of using the corruption they have created against us. As such, we know that any attempt to storm their castle could result in devastating losses that we may not be able to recover from."

The other Maudras nodded in agreement, and Seladon continued. "It's time for us to return home to our lands, sisters. Stone in the Wood is at full capacity, and our presence here is only disrupting the balance further."

"Are you suggesting," Maudra Laesid asked, "that everyone not of Stonewood leave? Because some of my clan cannot return to their own lands, All Maudra. There is no food, though the Darkening seems to be retreating in some places, for now."

"I am not suggesting that those who cannot return or have nothing to go back to should leave," explained Seladon. "I'm suggesting that _we_, the clan leaders, should go and any of our people that wish to return home with us should migrate as well. We are doing the Stonewood no favors by remaining here. All of you have responsibilities to your people, and we have ways of sending word out quickly if there is a need to assemble."

"What of that creature you discovered in Ha'rar?" asked Seethi. "is it wise for us to split up when there could be a new threat?"

"All the more reason to return to our respective homelands," insisted Seladon. "We are in a time of war, and while it would seem like wisdom for us to remain gathered in one area, we have already discussed the dangers of that making us a bigger target."

"The problem with our means of communication over vast distances," pointed out Ethri, "is that the Skeksis can spy on it. If trouble comes, we can't use the flame of Stone in the Wood to contact the clans again without _them_ knowing. It's somehow connected to the crystal."

"Then we will have to rely on messenger birds," decided Seladon. "We must address the ascension of a new leader for the Stonewood clan. Much as it saddens me to speak of it, many moons have passed since Maudra Fara returned to Thra. We have all honored her in ceremony, memory and words, but her people need someone to step up and guide them."

The other maudras nodded in agreement. Mera spoke up. "But the Stonewood haven't selected a suitable candidate, and Maudra Fara had no daughters."

"This is why we need to leave," insisted Seladon. "They are leaning on us too much."

"But what if there _are_ no suitable candidates?" demanded Laesid. "What happens to the Stonewood then? They may eventually fall into chaos without some kind of leadership. Petty squabbles will go unchecked, all semblance of order could fade."

"I have an...unconventional proposal," Seladon answered. "It breaks tradition and it may be immediately rejected, but I want to present it to this council before I address the entire Stonewood clan with it."

The other women looked at each other, and then back at her curiously. Seladon took a deep breath and described her idea.

* * *

As expected, her proposal was first met with outrage and disbelief. It took a lot of reasoning and convincing to get them to settle down and consider the possibilities. In fact, the effort to make them hear her over their raised voices, to see the logic behind her plan, was so great that it wore Seladon out. Her feet were dragging by the time she made it back to the cottage she was staying in.

Vaurin wasn't home yet; likely still on patrol. There was a bit of left over fruit from lunch, so Seladon made herself eat some of that before drawing a bucket of water from the well outside. She locked the door since her paladin had the spare key to get in, stripped out of her clothes and had a sponge bath. She put on a thick, warm sleeping gown and climbed into bed, even though the suns hadn't set completely.

Despite missing her lover's warmth beside her, the exhausted All Maudra soon fell asleep.

* * *

When Seladon woke again it was early morning. The light had just started to shine through the curtains, orange with the rising suns. She felt an arm around her and the warmth of another body close to her own, and she could smell Vaurin's pleasing, woodsy scent. She opened her eyes to look at him, vaguely recalling seeing him stoke the fireplace and strip before joining her in bed.

Fast asleep, he looked so relaxed and comfortable; and why shouldn't he? The bed they were in might be on the small side, but the mattress was thick and contoured so nicely to the body. The quilted blanket was soft and warm. She would miss this bed, Seladon decided. She would miss this whole cottage, in fact.

She studied her lover quietly, unwilling to wake him. He must have had a long, tiring patrol shift because she was sure it had been late when he finally came through the door. There were shadows of fatigue beneath his eyes but even so, he was beautiful to her. Seladon stroked a hand over his hip, slipped it beneath the blanket and then realized something.

He was completely bare of clothes.

She blinked, surprised. Vaurin had been wearing leggings to bed each night since he began sleeping with her, both for modesty and to provide an added barrier between their bodies. He'd been trying to avoid temptation and Seladon honored his decision, also wearing sleep clothes to bed.

"You must have been too tired to bother," she whispered, smiling a little. Not that she had any complaints. She skimmed her hand over his hip beneath the covers, admiring the smooth feel of his warm skin beneath her palm.

She flushed, breath sighing between her parted lips. It didn't seem fair that they had only joined that one time, and it had been several moons since. She understood why it had been necessary to abstain while her injuries were healing, but she was much better now. Nearly fully recovered, in fact. She had needs that had been too long denied, and she could see no reason why she should continue to do so now that she was better.

She lowered her gaze slowly, drinking in the sight of his shoulders, his throat, the medallion hanging 'round his neck, resting on it's side against the pillow. She traced the smooth, lean muscles of his chest, gliding her fingers over them and lower. His tight little stomach, his side and finally back to his hip.

Seladon pushed the blanket lower, biting her lip as she slipped it lower over his upper thigh to expose him to her scrutiny. There was a trace amount of springy, short hair framing his groin, matching the hair on his head in tones of blended white, fuchsia and pink.

She really shouldn't. She should just let her paladin continue to sleep in peace. He surely must need it. Seladon noticed for the first time that there was a faint, sparse pattern of freckles trailing down from Vaurin's cute little navel to that patch of hair, and she couldn't resist running her finger over them. His stomach tensed slightly under the touch, but soon relaxed as if even in his sleep, he sensed that it was her touch.

He was so very pleasing to look upon, Seladon thought. Even more pleasing to touch. Her pulse quickened and a thrill of lust caused an intriguing throb to start between her thighs, growing stronger by the moment. She could feel her body's natural reactions to her quickening desire. The damp feeling between her thighs, the swelling of that sensitive little nub there which Vaurin had teased with his tongue that morning.

Her growing sense of urgency overpowered Seladon's patience and common sense. She stroked her fingers over his resting member, tracing the arch of it from root to tip. She then reversed the touch, and then she gripped the length of it in her hand. She felt a little pulse, felt it slowly begin to swell and straighten in her hold.

Unable to help herself, Seladon started to slide her hand up and down, coaxing his flesh to thicken and elongate further. She heard her lover's breath catch, and she raised her eyes to his face. Vaurin was still asleep, but he was starting to react to her fondling. His sculpted cheekbones bloomed with color, his lips parted and his breath quickened.

Seladon kept going, fascinated by the feel of him getting harder and harder in her hand, the expression of pleasure spreading over his handsome face. He began to make soft, breathy noises in his throat, and his pelvis started to gently rock, thrusting himself into her busy hand.

Seladon kissed his chin, then his jaw. His arm tightened around her waist. He snuggled closer to her and moaned softly. She felt inspired to try different things, and he gasped when she rubbed the tip of his sensitive flesh with her thumb. She felt slippery moisture emerge, and she slicked it over the fleshy tip.

Vaurin's eyes finally opened, disoriented at first and then focusing on her. There was confusion in them, and then he looked down at her stroking hand locked around his arousal.

"Seladon," he breathed in a surprised, husky exclamation.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, feeling some guilt. "I took advantage of you in your sleep. I can stop—"

"No! No, please don't," he practically begged, squeezing her hip.

She fought the urge to giggle at his vehemence. "I thought you might be angry with me for not asking first."

He reached up to stroke his hair, eyes fluttering closed with pleasure for a moment. Opening them again, he held her gaze and spoke in a serious if unsteady voice. "Seladon, I will _never_ be angry with you for touching me. I'm yours, and as long as you aren't groping me in public, you can touch me whenever you like. Best way to wake up ever."

This time she _did_ giggle. He always managed to drag out such girlish responses from her. "That's good to know."

"But," he gasped, running his hand down her body, "you have to agree to let me touch you back. Fair deal?"

"Of course." She licked her lips, not stopping him when he began to gather her gown up, bunching it up around her waist. She bent her topmost leg and rested it on his hip, and she sighed as his talented fingers found her and began to stroke back and forth against the sensitive folds.

Vaurin's mouth connected with hers for an urgent, sensual kiss. His tongue teased hers, and he thrust faster into her hand. Seladon rolled her hips, moaning into his mouth. She trembled and bucked when he demonstrated how skilled he was at manipulating the most sensitive outer part of her loins, circling the bead of flesh crowning her sex.

"Vaurin," Seladon gasped, breaking the kiss to rest her forehead against his chin. "Mm!"

"You're already so moist," he observed approvingly. He urged her onto her back, rolling on top of her. He was breathing hard and fast, staring down at her intensely.

Feeling him bump against her teasingly, Seladon embraced him with her free arm, and then she cupped his bottom urgently. "Yes. I'm ready, my love. I want you."

He was panting now, but Vaurin stopped and looked at her uncertainly. "Are you sure? Your wing. I don't want to hurt you."

"It's fine," she promised him. "It doesn't even hurt anymore, and I can nearly extend it completely. Don't make me wait any longer to feel you inside of me."

He held back for just one moment longer, but his need was greater than his uncertainty. Vaurin eased into her carefully, and Seladon released him as he sank deeper by the second. Both of them groaned when he was fully seated, and she put her arms around him. She groaned his name, holding him tight as he started to move.

It was such sweet relief, and his weight on top of her made it even more intoxicating. His medallion dangled over her chest, swinging with his motions. Vaurin started out slow, practicing some restraint in the interest of not being too rough with her. Seladon stroked his back gasping sharply each time he filled her. She felt his muscles bunch and relax, and she slid her hands lower to squeeze his flexing bottom.

"Unh...S-Seladon," he groaned, speeding up.

She parted wider for him, moaning her encouragement. The headboard started knocking against the wall with his increasing excitement. "That's it," she urged, reveling in the sharp, intense sensations. She welcomed the ache behind the pleasure, overcome by her baser needs.

"Yes," cried Seladon, canting her hips eagerly to meet his thrusts. "My...Vaurin...oh!"

"Thra," he gasped. "I'm not...going to last.."

Seladon barely registered his warning, because she was cresting her own peak of bliss. It started off as ripples and soon became surges of pleasure so intense that she shook. Unwittingly, she clawed at his back, arching and moaning helplessly. He gave a few more hard, deep thrusts and then he groaned into her ear, throbbing inside of her.

He stayed that way for a while, panting and recovering from his release. He planted several soft, brief kisses on her cheeks, her nose and finally a lingering one on her lips. He lifted up to gaze down at her, still breathing heavily. Seladon reached up to caress his face, finding him too handsome for words in the afterglow of pleasure.

"Are you all right?" asked Vaurin, turning his head to kiss her fingers.

"Better than all right," she assured him with a blissful, sated smile. She almost touched his pendant, then thought better of it. That piece he wore was more than a trinket, and it wouldn't do for her to accidentally dreamfast with the etching and see a deeply personal memory meant specifically for him.

"We really need to do that more often," Seladon informed him. "We have no excuse to deprive ourselves of the pleasure, now that I'm healed."

"I heartily agree." He smiled at her, closing in for another kiss. He eased off of her carefully and lay on his back, sighing. "Thra, that was amazing."

Seladon half lay on top of him, scooting down to rest her cheek on his chest. "Yes, it was. I thought you were passionate the first time, but you gave more of yourself to me, this time."

"I couldn't hold back," he admitted softly, stroking her hair. "I know what I've been missing, and you have no _idea_ how often I find myself thinking of our first time. It's made it blasted difficult to concentrate on my duties and...uh..."

Seladon looked up from his chest at his suddenly blushing face. "And what? You must finish your sentences, my love."

He sighed. "All right, but don't judge me too harshly. I've been...giving myself release each day before coming home to you and joining you in bed."

"Oh." She grinned helplessly, though the thought of him pleasuring himself was more arousing to her than it was funny. "Has it been that bad?"

"Yes," he answered with out hesitation. He caressed her shoulder. "I was afraid if I didn't give myself some relief, I might get too frustrated to behave myself when I held you. It was as much for consideration of you as it was for my own benefit."

"Such a gentleman," she sighed. She kissed the expanse of his chest, enjoying the feel of his smooth skin against her lips, the vibrations from his heartbeat. Seladon's mind went down an interesting avenue as she thought about his confession. "I wonder," she said between kisses, "what it would be like if I were to catch you in the act of doing that."

"Humiliating," he snorted.

"Hmm, not for me." She scooted up and rubbed her pale thigh over his groin, driven by wicked impulses. "I've never thought this way about the act before, but I think I would enjoy watching you do it."

"Really?" He blinked at her, and then his lids drooped a bit and he grinned. "Aren't you a naughty girl."

"I don't think it's a bad thing to be so attracted to my future husband that I would like to see him in the act."

"I suppose I just don't see the attraction," he mused, combing a strand of long hair over her shoulder. "What could possibly be exciting about watching a man rutting into his own hand like some brute?"

Seladon chuckled, and she tried to get him to see it from a different perspective. "Well, what if you saw _me_ pleasuring myself? Would you find it so repulsive then?"

His brows went up under his fringe, and he looked her up and down. He shook his head. "Not a bit. Is that an offer, my lady?"

Seladon felt him starting to swell again beneath her thigh, proof that he was aroused by the thought.

"If it's so intriguing to you, why is it difficult to believe I feel the same about you?"

"Uh...well, because males are...and females are...it's just different."

"Hmph. That's a ridiculous attitude to have." Seladon rubbed her thigh against him, further stirring his groin. "Women aren't as different as you seem to think. You may not consider yourself attractive during the act, but I think I would."

"I would be afraid to test that theory," he chuckled. "What if you turn out to be wrong and you're so put off by it that you don't want me touching you again?"

"I highly doubt that would happen. Perhaps one day, we'll both have the courage to do it in front of each other."

Seladon could hardly believe she was suggesting such a thing. The old her would have been scandalized by the raw depravity of it. While there was no shame in self love, it was supposed to be a private thing, not put on display for anyone else.

"Ladies first," he said.

She laughed. "Look at how deeply you blush! I've finally discovered something you _haven't_ tried before."

"Mm, I never would have imagined you being so adventurous in bed. I thought I would have to coax you out of your shell, but you've surprised me in so many pleasant ways."

"I've been surprising _myself_ since taking you as my lover." She let her fingers glide sensually over his chest and stomach, feeling him harden further against her thigh. She quickened with desire in response, pleased that he was so quick to recover. "Someone's awake again."

Vaurin's breath caught as she moved her leg down so that she could explore that hardness again with her hand. "Yes, I'm afraid I don't have much conscious control over that part of me. You excite me too much."

He jerked when she gave him a stroke, hissing through his teeth. Seladon stopped to regard him with concern. "What is it? Does it hurt?"

He shook his head, and he reached down to cover her hand with his own. "Not exactly. It's just more sensitive for a little bit right afterwards. You don't need to stop; just be gentle with me."

She hadn't realized that. It explained why he'd held her hips to restrain her motions the second time they joined on that first night together. "I never knew that," she confessed, easing her grip and using more care. "It seems you teach me something new each time."

"Maybe your previous partners just didn't have the same vigor as me," he suggested.

That much was true, she admitted silently. Vaurin was the only one she'd ever lingered with after the initial act, and thus the only male that performed more than once in a single encounter. She'd never really given any of the others the opportunity to initiate more.

"Let's not talk about past encounters with other gelfling," she suggested. "If I discuss mine then I have to let you discuss yours, and then I'll get jealous."

"Hmm, good point." His breath quickened as her fondling aroused him further. "I don't really want to think of you with other males either. No more talk."

She was getting impatient to be joined with him again, and Seladon got up and straddled him. He was clearly surprised by the move, but he didn't object. Vaurin started to lift up her gown, and Seladon helped him remove it. The garment fluttered to the floor, leaving her as naked as he was. He sighed in appreciation as he ran his hands over her body, cupping her small, firm breasts lovingly.

Seladon spread her wings, and though she was sure the right one was just a bit lopsided, Vaurin was as enchanted as ever by the sight of them. He murmured in admiration, and when the morning light caught and reflected on the wings, he said her name in a low, passionate murmur, Seladon mounted him.

She took it slow, minding his earlier warning about heightened sensitivity. His soft groans of pleasure were music to her ears. Seladon placed her hands over his and guided them down her body to her hips, then moved one suggestively to her inner thigh. He was all too willing to take her cue.

"Mmm," she purred when he started touching her, increasing her pleasure. He really was so very good with his hands...and that _mouth_. The experience of him kissing her down there had destroyed every ounce of her composure.

"Vaurin?" she gasped.

"Hmm?" He gazed up at her with hooded, lusty eyes.

"That thing you did with your mouth that morning..."

He grinned slyly. "Mm-hmm?"

"Will you...do it again sometime?"

The intensity in that amber gaze was almost scalding. "At earliest convenience, and as often as you'll let me. I'd have done it already by now if I'd known you were healed enough for it."

She smiled. "So you enjoy doing it as much as I enjoyed having it done to me?"

"I _loved_ doing it," he assured her. "The taste of you is more intoxicating than wine, my lady."

Seladon gasped as his fingers rubbed that little spot faster. Her hips snapped with greater urgency, and he moaned her name.

There was no further banter between them after that. While it didn't get as rough as their earlier encounter, it was no less intense. As their mutual pleasure grew by the moment, Vaurin sat up and embraced her. He squeezed Seladon's bottom, urging her on. They finished almost at the same time, both gasping the other's name.

Seladon held her paladin close, stroking his hair and panting against his ear. He rocked her gently as he too caught his breath. Seladon was about to whisper an endearment into his ear when Vaurin suddenly tensed.

"What is it?" Seladon asked, but then she heard a strange sound from outside, and the daylight filtering in through the window curtain became muted as if a cloud had passed over the suns.

"Do you hear it?" he whispered, still a bit out of breath.

Seladon nodded, frowning. It was a concert of odd, shrill sounds coming from the sky. Seladon pulled the curtain back to look out the window and investigate. There was a flock of birds passing over Stone in the Wood. That was what had darkened the sky.

At least, she assumed it was a flock of birds, until one of them swooped down and flew straight into her window. She shrieked, and Vaurin pushed her off of him and got protectively between Seladon and the window. She embraced him from behind and looked over his shoulder with wide eyes. The creature fell against the outer ledge of the window, twitching, and she could see that it was no bird native to Thra that she had ever seen.

"What..._is_ that?" Seladon gasped.

Vaurin shook his head. "I don't know. Stay here, my lady. I'm going outside to investigate."

"I'm not staying behind," she insisted. Outside, more of the strange creatures began to drop from the sky, landing on rooftops, pathways and even in the community water well. Gelfling voices were raised and others came out of their homes to see what was going on.

"All right," he agreed with a sigh, getting out of the bed. He went to fetch his pants and boots, and he glanced back at her as he shimmied into the breeches. "Just stay behind me and don't step out in the open. Those things are dropping like flies out there and I don't want any of them landing on you."

Seladon agreed, and she opened up her trunk to snatch up a pair of leggings and a shirt. She didn't know where she'd put her boots, so she followed him to the door barefoot. Vaurin had one of his blades in hand, and he hadn't bothered to put on a shirt.

Across the way, Rian came out of the cottage opposite of theirs. Gurjin came out behind him, having roomed up with the former castle guard.

"What in Thra's name is going on out here?" shouted Gurjin, looking around at the winged creatures littering the ground.

Rian nearly stepped on one, and he jumped back with a startled curse. "Some sort of bats, I think."

Vaurin squatted down before one of the creatures to have a better look at it, and Seladon stayed beneath the awning over the door, biting her lip anxiously. "Be careful, Vaurin. It may bite."

Rian cast a cautious look up at the sky before crossing the distance to join Vaurin. Gurjin stayed behind, not quite as eager to come out into the open.

"I'm right, aren't I?" asked Rian, squatting down in front of the paladin to have a look as well. "They're bats of some kind."

Vaurin nudged the creature with the tip of his blade. It didn't move. The paladin turned it over to examine it further.

"Bat's don't generally fly out in full daylight," Vaurin reasoned in a puzzled voice. "The earliest they leave the roost is at dusk."

"But it's got bat wings," Rian observed, pointing but keeping his hand a safe distance away from it.

"That's _all_ it's got. No mouth, no eyes...not even a face."

Seladon looked up and, seeing no more of the creatures flying around, deemed it safe enough to join them. She bent over to look more closely at the thing. It really didn't have a face to speak of. It was just wings connected to a strange claw-like center, and gripped in that claw was a faceted stone...or perhaps it was a crystal.

"Check the other ones," Seladon suggested, feeling dread seep into her bones. "See if they're all the same."

Rian nodded and got to his feet to do as she advised. He went over to the nearest one lying as still as the first on the ground by the well. He nudged it with his boot.

"Exactly the same," he announced, looking up at her with puzzled blue-green eyes. "What does it mean, All Maudra? Have you ever seen anything like them before?"

"Never in my life," she answered grimly. "What of you, Gurjin? Do these creature look like any you've ever seen in the swamps? Perhaps they migrated here because of the blight affecting some of those lands."

"I'm afraid not," he answered, finally coming out to examine them himself. "We've got plenty of bats back home, but not like this."

Others were out and about, asking the same questions of each other. It was obvious that no gelfling in these parts were familiar with these creatures.

"Maybe they're from the Caves of Grot," Vaurin theorized, getting to his feet with a little grunt. "There are all kinds of weird creatures in there. Too bad none of the Grottan clan are still here to confirm that."

"Why would they come all the way here, though?" Gurjin asked.

"The Darkening might have infected them," suggested Rian. "Made them behave differently than they normally would."

"It's possible," allowed Seladon, hoping that was the case. "I'm sure just like here on the surface, there are still parts of the underworld that have the blight. We've all seen how the Darkening can drive infected creatures to madness."

Naia came over from a few cottages down to join them. "They're all dead. Every single one of them. I think some even died before they hit the ground."

"Disease?" questioned Seladon, "or perhaps the darkening killed them."

"Maybe." Vaurin looked around at the unsettling scenery. "I think Rian may be onto something. Subterranean creatures are known to have an intolerance to sunlight. If these things did come from the Caves of Grot, then it may have been exposure to the suns that ultimately killed them."

Seladon nodded, finding the theory sound. "Whatever the case, we need to clean this up. I think we should seal up that well for now, too. At least one of them fell in it, and I wouldn't want anyone drinking from the water in it until we've had the chance to clean it out and purify it."

"Right," agreed Rian. "Er...what should we do with the carcasses once we've gathered them all up? Burn them?"

"Away from the village," Seladon decided, "downwind of here so that the smoke won't drift into Stone in the Wood. Some of these creatures should be collected and preserved for study, however. Perhaps someone with greater knowledge of the species of Thra can answer our questions about these creatures. Maybe we can even send a courier with a sample to Mother Aughra, and she'll know what it is."

"Ah, All Maudra?"

"What is it, Gurjin?"

He grimaced, looking up from one of the small corpses. "They're decomposing already."

"What?" She thought he was imagining things, but when Seladon looked back down at the one her lover had examined, she saw what the Drenchen meant. The wings were shriveling up before her eyes, and the stone in the center of what she could only assume to be the creature's body began to crack and crumble.

"They're turning to dust," whispered Seladon. "Disintegrating before our eyes, just like the..."

"Like the remains of that creature that killed my father," finished Vaurin, of the same mind.

The lovers looked at one another, and Seladon was sure her paladin felt the same sense of foreboding she was feeling. Either both creatures had surfaced from somewhere deep within the Caves of Grot and shared the same weakness against daylight, or they were both born of the same un-natural source.

Seladon's plan to have a mass gathering of the Stonewood clan to present her ideas to them would have to wait. This was a more pressing matter that needed to be dealt with immediately.

* * *

-To be continued

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: Seladon sends word out to all the Clans warning of yet another mysterious and potential threat. She then presents a solution to the Stonewood clan's current lack of leadership that goes against universal gelfling tradition and tests the boundaries of what is considered acceptable.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seladon makes a bold and unconventional proposal to the Stonewood Clan. Word is sent out concerning the strange new flying creatures encountered and where they might have come from. Seladon receives a precious gift from her paladin, along with a newfound resolve to ensure the future of the Gelfling. Hup gets a fancy spoon. You heard me. A spoon. Rock on, Hup.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the encouragement, the fan art, the enthusiasm!

A day went by and plans were underway. The first order of business was to send word of this latest phenomena to the other clans. It didn't require enlisting volunteers because the Maudras had agreed to return to their homelands, and they could therefore carry the word to their people. Those who wished to return home went with their leaders, but there was still the matter of sending word to the Grottan clan about the strange bats, as well as Mother Aughra.

Rian tried to volunteer for the former, seeing as he had already been to the Caves of Grot and therefore was marginally familiar with them. Seladon had to decline his offer, though.

"I am sorry, but right now we cannot spare you."

"But I've been there before," he reminded her. "What's so important that I must stay here?"

Seladon hesitated, wondering if she should tell him now or wait until the Stonewood were assembled in the village center. "You'll understand soon enough, Rian. There is going to be a special meeting this afternoon to address a matter that concerns everyone in your clan. Be on time and you'll have your answers."

He sighed, but he offered no further argument. "Yes, All Maudra."

Seladon watched him go, hoping she wasn't overestimating the trust she'd built with her fellow gelfling. She didn't know if the Stonewood would accept her proposal, but she was sure there would be a lot of debate and outrage before a decision was reached.

She gave a little start as a pair of strong, familiar hands settled on her shoulders and began to rub them.

"You're very tense," whispered Vaurin into her ear.

Seladon accepted his massage, closing her eyes and relaxing a bit under his deft, sure touch. "You snuck up on me again. I need to put a bell around your neck."

He chuckled. "Or one of those silly jingle hats they make you wear in the Order of Lesser Service?"

She huffed with amusement at the suggestion, and she turned around to look at him. "I think," she said, "you would look terribly cute in one of those."

"You could ask around," he said seriously. "I had to spend two moon phases in their service once."

"Did you?" She blinked. "I never knew that. When did this happen?"

"When I was in my teens, just before I began my training to become a paladin. My father made me do it after I got caught with...ah...a young lady I shouldn't have been involved with."

She sighed, rolling her eyes. "Yet another one of your conquests. I might have known."

"Nothing happened between us," he defended. "We did no more than kiss, but her father saw us and he was none too pleased by the thought of his daughter with some peasant farm boy."

"So he caught you before you got it out of your pants," teased Seladon. "Am I to assume he complained to your family?"

"You assume right," admitted the paladin. "Do you know that nearly half of all gelfling drafted into the service are there because they had relations with someone above or below their caste? Or from another clan?"

No, Seladon didn't know that. She'd followed every rule by the book, never making any transgressions that would justify such punishment. It was her sister Brea that had the talent for getting into the worst kinds of mischief.

"Well in any case, I think I would have liked to see that," she said. She sobered at the thought of what she must do that afternoon. Perhaps she would earn a jingle hat of her own by the time the day was through.

"There's that look again," observed Vaurin softly, cupping her chin. "What troubles you so much today? Is it the thought of addressing an entire clan?"

"Yes," she confided with sigh. "Don't misunderstand; I suffer no insecurity about speaking to so many gelfling. Rather, it's what I'm going to say and how they'll respond to it that has me anxious."

He cocked his head a little. "You haven't told me what this is all about. I know it probably isn't my concern, but—"

"You are my life partner," she interrupted, pressing two fingers against his lips to still them. "Everything I do is your concern, whether it's related to politics or something of a more personal nature. I want to share my thoughts with you, hear your opinions. I've just been so busy that I've hardly had the chance to stop."

He nodded, and he took her hands. "I know. You were so exhausted last night that you didn't even wake when I got into bed with you and kissed you."

She winced. "I wasn't ignoring your presence, you know. I don't even remember you getting into bed."

"You were fast asleep," he excused with a little smile. "No need to feel bad. You obviously needed the rest, and I wasn't going to be a selfish, entitled lout and wake you to try and get some satisfaction."

"Come back to the cottage with me," Seladon invited. "I'll tell you everything, and I want you to be by my side with my sister when I address the Stonewood clan this afternoon. If ever I needed your strength and support, it's now."

He searched her eyes with his own, and he nodded slowly. "You have it, my lady. Always."

* * *

Vaurin was shocked by Seladon's explanation of what she intended to suggest, but he was nonetheless supportive. She knew he would be, because her paladin had been steadfast in his loyalty to her for as long as she'd known him. She sipped a cup of wine as the hour approached, trying to kill the butterflies in her stomach. She didn't finish it for fear that she might imbibe too much and dull her wits. She needed a clear head for this event.

Brea came to her door just in time, and together, the trio made their way to the center of the village. Dressed in a fine gown of silver and pale violet for the occasion, wearing the Living Crown on her head for this rare event, Seladon looked every inch the All Maudra if she did say so herself. She'd lightly applied rouge to her cheeks and shadow to her eyelids, and her lips were pink with the tinted gloss Onica once gifted to her.

Wings regally spread, she approached the Crucible that the entire Stonewood clan had gathered around. With her paladin on her left and her sister on her right, Seladon greeted her peers with dignified grace.

"Good afternoon to you all, gelfling of the Stonewood clan. I thank you for answering my call and attending this very special, very important gathering. Today, we are here to discuss the future. More specifically, the future of your clan."

There were murmurs amongst them. Not everyone attending was a Stonewood gelfling; some others were there as well, including Vapra, Drenchen, Dousan and Spriton. Gelfling such as Gurjin, his sister Naia, Kylan and Rek'yr were there, having opted to stay put rather than return to their homelands with their Maudras and other clan members. Hup was there as well, Seladon noticed, standing in the front with Rian.

"I will get straight to the point, as I know what I'm about to propose will be the cause of much discourse. Your clan needs a Maudra. As far as I know, there hasn't been any consideration put forth of who might take Maudra Fara's place as your leader. Your hospitality to the rest of us has been appreciated and welcome, but it's time for most of the rest of us to lessen the strain on your resources and return to our own lands. The others have already left, and soon I and some of my people will go as well."

There was a sense of sadness from some of the gelfling in the crowd, and Seladon thought she saw hints of desperation in the faces of others. The young, baby-faced Stonewood guard that used to serve as Maudra Fara's personal messenger stepped forward, glancing at his fellows before speaking. Seladon couldn't recall his name or even if she'd ever heard anyone utter it before.

"We have no suitable candidate, All Maudra. I think I speak for everyone when I say there's simply no replacing out dear Maudra Fara. We're all of us still heartbroken over her loss."

"Yes, agreed a female with dark auburn hair from the back of the crowd. "What shall we do when you're gone? We have nobody fitting to settle disputes and uphold our laws!"

"Actually, you do," Seladon corrected, and her eyes fell on Rian.

Everyone else looked at the young male as well, and Rian looked around in confusion. "Uh, me?"

"You know the laws of your people," reasoned Seladon, ignoring the wide-eyed look she saw her sister giving her from the corner of her eye. She should have explained her plan to Brea, or at least summarized it before they arrived at the assembly. Brea probably thought she was just intending to push for haste in their selection of the next Maudra.

"You are the one that sent the message of resistance out to all gelfling, the one responsible for not only igniting the fires, but inspiring the clans to work together as one. If not for you, Rian, who knows how many gelfling would have been drained by the Skeksis without any of us being the wiser? My own mate would have been one of them, written off as a casualty of some made up conflict with the Arathim."

She took her gaze off of Rian's shocked face to look around at the crowd again. "This gelfling not only showed us all the light of truth; he inspired us to fight. Fight for our lives, for our freedom, for our world. If a Maudra cannot be decided on for the Stonewood clan, perhaps it's because your next leader isn't meant to _be_ a Maudra, but a prince."

"Whoa," blurted Gurjin.

"It's heresy," cried out someone in the crowd. "It simply isn't done!"

"No male has ever been the head of any clan in all of gelfling history!" shouted a woman.

"The seat of the council leader is always for a female!"

More voices joined in, some arguing for Seladon's proposal, and others against it. If there was one heartening thing about this discourse, it was that the Stonewood gelfling seemed to be evenly divided in their opinions of the idea.

The noise became so extreme that Vaurin took it upon himself to bring order back. He stepped forward and spoke in such a stern, loud voice that even Seladon went still at the sound of it.

"Quiet, all of you!"

The chatter and arguing died down, and people stared at the usually quiet, unobtrusive redhead. Hands resting casually on the hilts of his blades, Vaurin spoke with authority. "Listen to your All Maudra's words. Hear the wisdom of her suggestion. She is acting on your behalf, presenting you with an alternative solution to your problem. Let her finish speaking before you come to any conclusions."

Now that she had their undivided attention again, Seladon took advantage and presented her reasoning to them. "Times are changing. Our world is changing, and perhaps so too should the structure of our laws. Clinging too tightly to tradition is not always for the greater good of our people. If anyone knows this, it's me. I learned a hard lesson by blindly doing so, and I know that my refusal to accept change cost a great deal of lives."

Seladon paced before the Crucible, with its ever-burning flames. She gestured at it. "It is Stonewood custom to commit your weapons to these flames after each battle, Someone explain to me why that is."

Baby Face—as Seladon had decided to nickname him, stepped forward again. "To let go of past aggressions. To leave the past behind and start anew, All Maudra."

Seladon nodded in satisfaction. "To leave the past behind," she repeated with emphasis, "and to start _anew_. There is a wisdom in that which I admire. We _must_ be willing to adapt to the changes in our world, to open our eyes to possibilities that might better ensure our survival. If you cannot choose a Maudra to lead you, then you must consider other options. I've offered you this one as the most obvious alternative, because Rian has already proven he has the qualities of a natural leader."

"All Maudra," said Rian uncertainly, "while I appreciate your vote of confidence, I have no experience. Even if they're willing to give me a chance, I wouldn't know where to begin!"

"My sister Brea has decided to stay here at Stone in the Wood," explained Seladon. She _does_ have experience in matters of the council, and she can serve as advisor to you."

"Well then, why not crown her as the new Maudra?" Naia asked with a gesture at Brea.

"Because she's not one of us," snapped Baby Face.

"The Stonewood need one of their own to lead them," agreed Seladon calmly. "Someone who grew up in their society. Experience isn't enough in this matter."

"And I wouldn't want the title," said Brea. "I never envied my sister Seladon in the responsibilities of her station. I wouldn't be the right choice, but my sister is right. Gelfling can't overlook possibilities just because they don't fall into tradition. If the skeksis have their way, tradition won't matter. There won't be any gelfling left to carry them on."

"The decision doesn't need to be made immediately," Seladon told them. "Ultimately it is up to you all to agree on what path to take. Should you decide on a suitable candidate to elect as your next Maudra, I shall come to attend the ceremony and give my blessings. I urge you all not to wait too long, however. Without someone to maintain order and justice, your way of life will sink into decay."

Seladon lowered her wings, feeling her right one starting to tremble with fatigue from being held out for so long. She'd made her argument clearly and succinctly, without a riot breaking out over it. It was a better outcome than she'd hoped for.

* * *

Later that evening after sharing a community meal, Seladon retired to her cottage. The plans for her people's return to Ha'rar would be the last thing to finalize. There had been no further sightings reported of strange Arathim hybrid monsters or unknown bats yet, but not much time had passed. Kylan would be leaving to the Observatory in the morning to bring word to Mother Aughra about the bats, and another volunteer would go to the Grottan clan with the news.

Tired but exhilarated at the same time, Seladon put her crown away and changed out of her ceremonial gown into a more comfortable one for bed. She cleaned the makeup off of her face, lit the kindling in the fireplace and hung a kettle over the flames to boil water for tea.

Once she had a steaming cup of the beverage ready, she sat in the rocking chair and sipped at it. With Vaurin out on early evening patrol, she had time alone to think about her future. When they left Stone in the Wood, there would still be plans to make once they reached Ha'rar. The joining ceremony was first on the list, of course, and afterwards, she and her paladin would make their private vows.

The pair bond would be complete on their joining night, when they dreamfasted and mated at the same time. That was what would complete the bond between them, connecting them for life through a spiritual link stronger than any physical union.

She smiled around her teacup, wondering what it would feel like when her soul became one with Vaurin's. It was a little frightening, knowing that she would be giving up a part of herself to him, but the tradeoff was that he would be giving up a part of himself to her in return. Every mated gelfling she'd ever asked told Seladon that there was nothing on Thra to compare with the ecstasy of completion one achieved when they found their other half and bonded with them.

Then of course there was the subject of children. That was part of the reason it was necessary for some of the outsider gelfling to clear out of Stone in the Wood. With fewer mouths to feed, more babies would be born to ensure future generations. The decision to conceive was deeply personal for every female. Sexual encounters only resulted in pregnancy when the females knew it was the right time.

"But what if there never _is_ a right time?" Seladon whispered to herself, staring at the licking flames in the fireplace with a sudden frown. Her head was telling her that wouldn't be until the Skeksis were removed from power and their threat to her kind was ended for good. Her heart and body, however, was telling her to let her mate's seed take purchase and grow within her. The sense of urgency grew stronger each time she lay with him, but ultimately it was her choice whether to answer that call or not.

Perhaps her uncertainty would fade once she and Vaurin were finally bonded in every sense of the word. Seladon had to admit that some of her doubts stemmed from her own lack of confidence. What sort of a mother would she be? Would she be kinder to her first born daughter than her mother had been to her? Give the girl more freedom to grow into her own person? Or would she take after her own mother and try to mold her daughter into the leader she wanted her to be?

Her mother had loved her. Seladon knew that now. Mayrin just hadn't been good at expressing that love in the same way she had for her other daughters. She'd been so focused on grooming her, preparing her for the rigors of being the All Maudra that along the way, she'd sometimes forgotten that Seladon needed her affection as much as she needed her guidance.

"If I ever have a daughter," vowed Seladon softly, "she will never be left wanting. Even if she must be trained to take my place, I won't leave her doubting my love for her."

* * *

She heard her paladin come in sometime after midnight, and Seladon woke up. She didn't call out to him, but watched him add more wood to the fire and strip out of his uniform. He hung his gear up for the next day, folded his clothing and then walked across the shadowed house towards the bed alcove.

It was a chilly night, which was why Seladon had worn a nightgown to bed rather than sleep in the nude. Now she wished she had chosen differently. Vaurin's approach was a thing of beauty to her. Naked, his body highlighted by the orange flicker from the fireplace, the sight of him stirred Seladon's desire. She couldn't tell if he was aware she was watching him, but she couldn't look away. Light on his feet, he barely made a sound as he crossed the floor and stepped onto the raised area of the alcove.

He met her eyes as he pulled the outer corner of the blanket down to slip in with her, and he gave her a little smile of greeting. "Still awake? Or did I disturb your sleep?"

"I heard you come in," she answered, watching intently as he slid into bed on his side, facing her. "Could you do that again?"

Vaurin looked mildly confused. "Do what, my lady? Come through the front door?"

She shook her head, feeling a little embarrassed and suddenly shy. "Approach me. You were just such a pleasure to watch."

He chuckled and leaned over her, sliding a leg between hers. "You would rather look at me than have me in your bed? All right, then."

She put her arms around him to stop him when he made as if to get up and leave her. "I wasn't serious, you. Don't go anywhere."

"I was just following your command, my All Maudra," he teased, rubbing the tip of his nose against hers.

"Your nose is cold," observed Seladon, trying not to giggle. "Oh, and so are your hands!"

"Sorry. It was a cold night to patrol. I thought about warming myself by the fire, but warming myself in bed with you was a much more appealing thought."

She shivered as those chilled hands stroked her body, but she didn't push them away. Vaurin noticed despite her lack of complaints, and he propped himself up on one arm to consider her.

"I can tell you one part of me that isn't cold." He started to grin, and then he began to kiss her, starting at her neck. "You deserve something special after handling yourself the way you did today, my lady."

"What...did you have in mind?" Her body tingled as he began kissing his way down, pushing the blanket down as he went.

"Something I haven't had the chance to do more than once," he purred. His hand grasped the hem of her nightgown and began to slide it up. Past the knees, then the thighs, and further. Vaurin shifted, scooting down.

Exposed to him from the waist down now, Seladon impulsively tensed up. She was nervous all the sudden, not because she didn't know what to expect, though. She knew what was coming, and when he started kissing her inner thighs and pushing them apart, her tension grew.

"Relax," instructed Vaurin gently, pausing his attentions. "This isn't going to be the first time. Is it because my hands are too cold?"

"No," she breathed, "its because I know I'm about to start screaming."

"Hmm." He kissed her inner left thigh again, further up this time. "Then let's make a game of it, shall we? I'll go slower this time, and you see how long you can stay quiet. Relax your body completely for me. It will be even better if you do."

"That's no game," gasped Seladon. "It's more like torture."

"Is it? My goal is to prolong your pleasure, Seladon. Not torture you."

As he spoke, he rubbed her thighs. His hands warmed, and his touch relaxed her tension. "Very well," agreed Seladon. "We'll play your little 'game'. What is my reward should I win?"

Vaurin's shoulders trembled for a moment with silent laughter.

"Don't be cute," scolded Seladon, lightly pinching one of his ears. "What did I say that's so amusing?"

He cleared his throat and spoke in a voice that quivered slightly with mirth. "Your reward, Seladon? I thought that was obvious, but I'll clarify further. What could be in it for you is multiple arrivals."

"Multiple...what?" She understood the words, but the meaning evaded her. "I don't follow."

"Perhaps you will soon."

Then he pushed her thighs far apart, and he proceeded to demonstrate his meaning to her in full.

* * *

Seladon couldn't even count how many times it happened, if they were individual arrivals or just one long, drawn out one that seemed to go on endlessly. Everyone up to ten houses away probably heard her cries, and it wouldn't have surprised her if someone thought she was being murdered and tried to break the door down to rescue her.

He'd started off slow as promised, brushing his lips over her sensitive flesh, gently kissing the outer parts. Then he started employing his tongue, and that wrecked Seladon's remaining composure. She tried breathing through it at first, and then covering her mouth with her own hand to muffle herself. In the end, her lover's oral attentions bested her.

She wondered if she was dying from the pleasure by the time it finally faded. Vaurin didn't immediately stop; instead he gradually backed off, gentling his attentions until she was panting and drained. He kissed her one last time down there before gently tugging her nightgown back down, stretching out beside her and pulling the blanket over them both.

"Shh, you're all right," he soothed, holding her as she trembled and gasped. "Let it run it's course, my love. I've got you."

Seladon closed her eyes, still feeling the occasional, residual throb inside of her. "How did you...learn to do that to a woman?"

He stroked her wings, and he took a moment to answer her. "I was taught by someone with more experience than myself. Without going into great detail, let's just say that I wanted to ensure a poor farmer boy like me could still make my future wife a very happy, very satisfied lady regardless of how little I could offer her in wealth."

"Hmm. I don't even feel that jealous," she remarked. "I almost think I owe her my thanks."

He held up his hand and there was a twinkle in his eye. "I could show you if you'd like to dreamfast—"

"No, that won't be necessary," Seladon quickly declined, making him lose his composure and laugh. "It's not funny, either."

"I'm sorry," he chuckled. "I couldn't resist."

"Cheeky."

He accepted the teasing accusation, and he changed the subject to a more serious matter. "I can't wait to be your husband in all ways, kidding aside."

She sighed and snuggled closer to him. "Our day is coming soon. I was thinking of inviting Brea to move into this cottage after we've left. I want to ensure it's taken care of."

He nodded. "I think she would like that. Just remember that Hup will likely be a part of her household."

"Bah, he could fit into a drawer."

"...and Rek'yr."

Seladon's eyes popped open. She hadn't considered that part, because the Dousan was currently living by himself in a smaller cottage. Of course Brea would want to share living space with him eventually, should their relationship continue its progression.

"Her choices are her own," decided Seladon at last, yawning. "I have to get used to the fact that she's no longer a childling and I'm not her mother."

Speaking of children, that made Seladon think of what she'd been pondering earlier that night, before he came home. "Vaurin?"

"Hmm?"

"When do you think is the right time for a couple to have children? You said 'as soon as possible' when the matron asked, but were you speaking literally or figuratively?"

He caressed her shoulders, seeming to think about his answer before giving it. "Of course I would like to start a family as soon as possible, but what I mean by that is as soon as _you're_ ready. I understand that you need time."

Seladon pulled back to look at him seriously. "What if there _is_ no right time? What if things don't change for the better and only get worse for our people?"

He gazed at her, equally serious. "My mother told me something about having children that stuck with me. She said that there's no such thing as the perfect time, because life is always going to have its struggles. She had to think about it seriously before deciding to become pregnant with me. They had just faced a hard winter, food stores were low, they were struggling to meet the deadline for their tithe and my father had just recovered from a lung illness."

"What made her decide to have you, then?"

He considered the question, possibly delving back into memory to recall the reason he'd been given. "She said that she heard the song of Thra. It told her all would be well, that it was her time to be a mother, that she shouldn't keep waiting. She and my father had been waiting for a score to start having children, trying to play it cautious and wait for the best moment."

Vaurin shrugged. "If she'd waited for the perfect time, she told me, she might have never had me or my brother at all."

Seladon lowered her gaze. "I see."

He cupped her chin, urging her to look at him again. "Seladon, I'm patient. You know that."

She nodded. "Yes, you are. The most patient gelfling I've ever met, I think."

"Then you should know that I will not rush you. Even if it takes a long while, I'll follow your lead. You just tell me when you're ready, and I'll do my part to ensure you conceive."

He winked at her. "I'll be more than happy to do my part, matter of fact."

She smiled, relaxing in his arms. "When you talk like this, it makes me want to throw caution into the wind and forget about my misgivings. If only things were so simple, though."

"There's something I want to share with you," Vaurin decided. "Something that might ease your concerns more, help you see things the way I think all gelfling should, when it comes to this subject."

"What's that?"

Vaurin glanced down at the pendant around his neck, and he lifted it by the chord. Seladon also looked at it, and she could see the blue glisten of the dream etching glowing faintly in the dark.

"Go ahead, Seladon. Touch it, and see the memories my parents wanted me to keep close to my heart."

Seladon reached for it, hesitated and looked at him searchingly. "Are you sure? This is a precious gift intended just for you."

"You are going to be my wife," he answered softly. "You already are, in my heart. My memories are yours, Seladon. Let me share this with you."

She took a steadying breath, nodded, and rested her fingers on the side of the amulet where the two engraved clan symbols met.

* * *

The first memory was obviously seen through Vaurin's mother's eyes. It was jarring at first, confusing. There was pain and pressure, sweat and tears. Seladon looked down to see the round swell of her abdomen, and she realized it wasn't _her_ body, but the other woman's. A fire was burning in a small hearth nearby, and there was an elderly gelfling woman situated between Vaurin's mother's bent, spread knees.

"Give us another push, dear," urged the elder. "You're nearly there."

There was a male hovering over the laboring female that Seladon at first mistook for Vaurin. Only it wasn't Vaurin; this man wore his red-striped hair all one length, gathered into a ponytail that hung down his back. Vahl. It was Vahl that she was seeing. Vaurin's father, but a younger version of him. He was holding his wife's hand fast in his, watching her with devotion and love in his eyes.

"Just a bit more, love," he called. "You can do this!"

Seladon—or rather, the farmer's wife—screamed and bore down. The pain was a distant, muted thing, probably not nearly as intense in the dreamfast as it had been in reality. A thin wail, a crow of success from the midwife, and it was over. The chord was cut and Vahl made a happy announcement.

"He's here! Jeni, our boy is here. You've done it!"

"I want to see him."

"Just a moment, little mother," chided the midwife. "I've got to clean him up a bit and swaddle him, first."

The infant's cries died to whimpers, and soon he was placed on his mother's breast for inspection. Jeni stared down at the little face of her new son, the curious amber gaze staring back up at her as if asking where this strange place was and how he'd come to be there. The damp fuzz on his head matched his father's in coloring. His little ears were wrinkled, plastered against his head for now. They would straighten out soon enough.

"He's perfect," Jeni sighed, "and it's about time!"

"You were the one that insisted on waiting," her mate laughingly told her.

"I know. I meant it was about time he finally came out." She smiled down at the baby. "I thought he was going to take up residency inside me until he could walk and talk."

"You gave him too comfortable a home," reasoned the happy new father.

"I must have." She studied her son, and a faint line of worry creased her brow. "Are they supposed to be this...quiet?"

"Most of 'em aren't," answered the midwife. "But he's healthy, I assure you. Enjoy the respite from crying while you can, dear. He's not likely to stay this quiet for long."

The infant kicked inside his swaddle, looking from his mother to his father and back again.

"Would you look at that," marveled Jeni. "It's almost as if he's working things out. He doesn't seem afraid at all."

"Bold lad," agreed Vahl. "He's going to be a handful for us, this one. I can see it already."

"Don't you be too hard on him," warned Jeni.

"No harder than I have to be, sweetheart."

The mother gazed at her son again, and she sighed as he yawned toothlessly and started to drift off to sleep. "Vaurin. I think the name we chose for him is perfect. Our little Vaurin."

"Yes," agreed her husband, bending over to kiss her head. "Vaurin."

* * *

The other side of the medallion contained the same memory event, but through the father's eyes. Seladon watched the farmer's wife struggle to give birth, felt Vahl's helplessness to do enough to aid her. When the baby came, she felt Vahl's burst of relief, the thrill of triumph and finally overwhelming paternal pride when he first laid eyes on his new son.

Vahl's first inner thought surprised Seladon.

_"What an ugly, wrinkled thing you are, boy."_

Then baby Vaurin looked up at his father, and that first impression immediately faded into a kinder string of thought.

_"All right, not so ugly. I'd look smushed up and slimy too if I just got squeezed out like that. What are you staring at, nugget? Hmph. You just got here and you act like you already know all of Thra's secrets. Little smarty."_

His wife had similar thoughts to his own, as she was remarking on how observant their son was for a newborn. There was a twinge of disquiet in Vahl's heart. Too much curiosity could be trouble, and by the looks of it, his boy was naturally inquisitive. He would have to keep a close eye on him.

After they agreed to keep the name they'd chosen for him, little Vaurin yawned and closed his eyes. That was when his father's heart truly melted.

_"All right, so you're cute. Thra willing, you won't grow up to be cuter than you are smart."_

He came to a decision then as he watched his wife guide their sleepy new baby to her breast in an attempt to get him to suckle.

_"I can't give you an easy life, son. You won't have as much time to play as other boys, you'll have more responsibilities than some of the friends you'll make...but I dare any other father in this clan to love his son more.."_

"I want to hold him when you're finished," announced Vahl aloud.

"Of course, Husband." Jeni smiled up at him. "He needs bonding time with his father as much as his mother. Just let him have his first feeding, and be patient."

* * *

When the memory faded, Seladon took her hand away from the pendant and met her lover's gaze. There were tears in her eyes, but they were happy ones. It had been a little strange at first to experience Vaurin's birth as if she were the one bringing him into the world, but all she needed to do was remind herself that these weren't her memories. She sniffed.

"That was beautiful, Vaurin. What a treasure you've shared with me."

He smiled. "And now you know my father just a little better. He was always gruff because he had to be, but he loved us."

She nodded. The man had even been gruff in his own mind, but in a rather endearing and humorous way. "I wish I could spoken to him myself. Why doesn't it surprise me that you were sly from the moment you came out of your mothers' womb?"

He shrugged and grinned. "Some things are just inherent, I suppose." He rubbed her hip in a circular motion, sobering. "Did those memories ease some of your fears, Seladon?"

She stared at him. There was a glimmer of hope in his eyes, and she understood that even though he had pure intentions when he offered to let her see the dream etchings, there was an ulterior motive. He really _did_ want children, but he wasn't going to pressure her.

"Yes," she agreed softly. She stroked his soft hair behind his ear; the one with the little nick in it. "It did ease some of my fears, my paladin. You needn't worry about me holding back from having children indefinitely. Your mother was right, and now that I think on it, so was my sister. The state of our world may be precarious, but we can't be afraid to live our lives because of that."

He smiled, and he kissed her softly. "Good."

* * *

The day arrived for Seladon and her convoy of migrants to leave Stone in the Wood and return to Ha'rar. The Stonewood clan hadn't yet arrived at a final decision concerning her proposal or a new Maudra, but she couldn't hold their hands. It was for them to choose how to progress, and she could only hope they would arrive at a conclusion before too long.

Her commission for Hup had been completed, and as people gathered to see the convoy off on their journey, Seladon presented the podling with his gift.

"I have something I wish to give to you as a token of my gratitude," she told the podling, who was standing beside Brea and Rek'yr. "Something more worthy of a paladin with your devotion and spirit."

Hup looked around, startled. He placed a hand on his chest and looked up at her with wide eyes. "All Maudra...means Hup?"

"Yes, I mean you." She smiled faintly, and she nodded at Vaurin.

He fetched the burnished, engraved wooden case they'd brought in the carriage for the occasion. Vaurin went to one knee solemnly, opened the case up and held it out before Hup. "Every paladin should have a unique blade...or spoon as the case may be. This is yours, brother paladin."

The podling's eyes opened wide with delight, his mouth falling open. He reached out after getting an encouraging nod from Seladon, and he lifted the custom made spoon out of the case by the handle.

Hup lifted the spoon reverently, openly marveling over the way the steel caught the light. He blinked, looked up at Seladon and then gave a flourishing bow. "Lady Seladon. Hup most...humbled by thoughtful gift."

"It was my honor to present it," Seladon told him solemnly. It was difficult to conceal her amusement. Had someone told her less than a trine ago that she would one day be presenting a podling paladin with an oversized piece of dinnerware, she would have accused them of eating hallucinogenic fruits.

Beside Hup, Rian smiled. He gave a nod of approval as the happy podling brandished his shiny new spoon, getting a feel for it. "Enemies better watch out now, eh?"

Hup nodded enthusiastically.

"Wait, there's a bit more," advised Vaurin, gesturing at the case that had held the spoon. "This goes with it for storage when not in use, and there's a special...eh...scabbard for it as well."

"Oooh. Scabbard, yeah!" Hup looked in the case, and he found the leather holder with its harness straps. "How work?"

"You strap it on, I think," guessed Rian, patting his own blade. "Rather like what we use."

"The straps are adjustable," said Seladon, "so that you may tighten or loosen them to the best fit when wearing it."

"Ahhh!" Hup seemed most impressed.

"Here, I'll hold onto the case for you," offered Rian. "You've got your hands full."

Hup nodded with agreement, and Rian took the spoon's case off of Vaurin's hands. He sobered when he met Seladon's eyes, evidently seeing the question in them. Rian secured the case closed and tucked it under one arm.

"All Maudra, I know what you want from me, but it isn't my decision to make."

Seladon nodded. "Of course, but are you willing to accept the role and the responsibility behind it if your clan asks you to?"

Rian looked around at his fellow gelfling; more specifically at the Stonewood members present for the sendoff. He nodded. "If they ask it of me, I will do whatever the Stonewood need of me. For the good of all gelfling, and for Thra."

Several nearby gelfling nodded in approval of his words, and Gurjin came up behind Rian to clap him on the back with brotherly affection. "You've got stones, brother. To be the only male in a council full of women? I...uh...never mind." The Drenchen shrank back when Seladon narrowed her eyes at him, and his sister Naia elbowed him none too gently.

Brea came forward, stepping away from Rek'yr and the crowd to approach her sibling. For a moment, the sisters just looked at each other, neither of them quite knowing what to say. Seladon finally reached out to smooth some flyaway strands on her younger sister's shiny head.

"Take care of yourself," said Seladon, "and don't keep your attention so focused on your books and journal that you lose sight of what's in front of you, sister."

Brea's eyes glimmered with emotion, and she hugged Seladon tightly. "I will keep my feet on the ground, Seladon. I...I wish I could be there with you for the joining ceremony."

"No you don't," countered Seladon with a weak little laugh. "It's going to be boring. Oh, I will miss you, bratling."

"I'll miss you too, sister."

It took a long while for them to reluctantly end their embrace, and Seladon swallowed her emotions as best she could. Her company was ready to depart, and Vaurin said that he smelled the possibility of rain in the air. Seladon had learned to trust her paladin's instincts, and now that she knew he was part Sifa, there were things about him that made more sense than before. The way he moved, the way he talked, and the way he sometimes stood perfectly still as if listening to something on the wind that only Vaurin could hear.

"When the Stonewood come to a final decision," announced Seladon, "send word. I will come. Until then, farewell to you all and may Thra protect you."

The other gelfling called out an answering blessing in unison. "Thra protect you, All Maudra!"

Seladon turned around, still holding her emotions in check with difficulty. Why was it so difficult to leave this place? She missed her home. She missed the mountains, the bustle of the capitol, the extravagance of citadel life. She missed her bedroom and having access to her own private baths whenever she wanted. She missed it all.

And yet, as she turned to take Vaurin's offered hand in hers, she found herself looking back at the scenery of the rustic woodland settlement and its charming layout of cottages, almost blending in with its natural surroundings rather than standing out.

She could only deduce that these feelings of nostalgia were inspired by the events that took place here, at Stone in the Wood. It was here that the gelfling made their stand against the tyrannical skeksis, here than Seladon and Brea said final goodbyes to their sister Tavra, here that Seladon also said goodbye to a woman that had become almost a surrogate mother to her.

And it was here, at Stone in the Wood, that Seladon found love. Not just for her paladin, but for herself.

"Come, my lady," urged Vaurin gently, reminding her that time was wasting. "We want to get as far as possible, while the weather still favors us."

"Yes," she agreed, lifting her skirts to climb up into the carriage with his assistance.

Vaurin climbed in behind her, closed the door and sat beside her in the seat. He was taking no chances this time, riding with her in the carriage rather than on the back of a land strider like the other paladins. Nobody disputed the decision since Vaurin was officially Seladon's betrothed.

There were other armalig-drawn carriages in the group this time, simpler ones to carry families, supplies and personal belongings. Captain Nethrid rode her land strider back and forth along the procession of travelers in a ready check before returning to the front of the line. She blew her horn twice to signal their departure, and the convoy began to move.

Inside her carriage, Seladon looked out through the open curtains at the lines of gelfling sending them off. She got one last look at her sister before moving out of sight. Once they reached the edge of town and got onto the road, Seladon drew the curtains closed with a sigh.

"Come and relax against me," offered Vaurin. He'd scooted back against the corner between the seat and the wall, propping some cushions behind his back. He'd removed his helm, boots and hood, and he had one foot propped up on the seat. "We've a long ride ahead of us."

Seladon found the offer too tempting to resist. As much to seek emotional comfort as physical, she slid toward him on the cushion, turned around and leaned back against him. Vaurin eased her circlet gently off of her head, hanging it from a clothing hook on the wall of the carriage. He stroked her hair over her shoulder so that it wouldn't pull, and he embraced her supportively.

"How is that?" he murmured into her ear.

Seladon nodded, closing her eyes.

"Vaurin, do you have the gift of sight?"

"Hmm?" He kissed her cheek. "I'm afraid I don't follow."

"You know, the seer's sight," she clarified. "Sifa are known for it, as well as their expertise at reading symbols and fortunes."

"Ah, that. No, I'm afraid not. My mother has a touch of it, but it skipped both me and my brother."

Seladon frowned. "Do you think it's possible that she saw your father's death coming?"

He tensed just a little, but then relaxed. He shook his head. "No. Mother doesn't get visions. She can sense things and read portents in the stones, leaves and cards, but she can't actually _see_ the future."

"I'm sorry for bringing it up."

"Don't be, my love. I wondered myself if she might have sensed Father's death approaching, but even if she did, there was nothing she could have done to prevent it. That's why I avoided asking her."

"Then I'll be certain to avoid the subject as well," promised Seladon. She changed the subject, trying to think of a way to make the journey easier on them both. "So you can't do readings?"

"Honestly, I've never tried," he admitted. "Sometimes I can feel things...sense things. Sometimes I think I hear a song, but it's so faint."

"Let's pretend for a moment that you do have the sight," she suggested. She turned a little to meet his eyes, and she smiled. "Tell me our future."

"A game, eh? All right." He nuzzled her temple. "I see a beautiful little girl in our future. A boy too, and more later on after that. I see you singing our children lullabies, dressed in a soft gown of purple and red. I see myself teaching them the ways of both the land and the blade, showing them how to live off the land and defend themselves from danger."

"Mmm, you see all that, do you?" Seladon closed her eyes, letting his words paint a picture in her head. "What else?"

He rocked her a little tightening his embrace. "I see you teaching our daughter to be strong, to be a wise leader. I see my mother showing them the ways of the Sifa, teaching them symbols of the earth, sky, sea and flame. I see my brother playing with them, and I see you coming to me at night, naked and—"

"Vaurin!"

He chuckled. "I'm sorry. I've ruined the moment."

Seladon sighed and turned around in the seat so that she could cuddle up against him sidelong, laying her cheek against his chest. She smiled in spite of herself. "You always keep me off guard."

"Well, I wanted to lighten your mood."

He slid a hand beneath her chin, tilting her head back for a kiss. "There is one thing I can tell you I see with utter clarity, my lady."

"What's that?" she whispered.

"I am going to cherish you until the day I die."

Seladon's smile returned. The ache in her chest over leaving Stone in the Wood lessened. Home wasn't to be found in a location, she realized. Home was in her paladin's arms.

* * *

-To be continued


	11. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just forewarning; this chapter contains the longest and most detailed erotic encounter I've written for this story. Considering it's their bonding night, I thought it was appropriate enough to splurge a bit. I definitely had fun writing it, awkward moments and all. Thank you so much to all of my readers!

They passed through some rainy weather on the way, and this time they stopped, rather than continue on and risk a repeat of the last travel experience between Ha'rar and the Dark Wood. Fortunately, the weather didn't get severe like the last time, and they were able to continue the journey before long.

They stopped again overnight, arranged the wagons and carriages in concentric circles for safety in numbers. It was a restless night for all. Vaurin took a shift in perimeter duty, and Seladon slept as well as she could inside their carriage.

They arrived in Ha'rar late the next morning, just before noontime. Much as she would have liked to take to her chambers and rest with her betrothed, Seladon had responsibilities to deal with; not the least of which was the organization of her official joining ceremony with Vaurin.

Seladon took care of these matters while her belongings were brought to the citadel. She first met up with the Librarian, stepping over countless scattered tomes and the annoying little creatures that seemed to serve as mascots for the vault of knowledge.

"Why do you allow these creatures to remain?" mused Seladon, watching her elder wrestle another page from the grasp of a tiny biped. "They are destructive."

The Librarian grunted as he pulled the sliver of parchment from the greedy hands of one of the book gremlins, and he chastised it. "Shoo, away with you! You know the rules."

"Clearly it doesn't" Seladon pointed out with a smirk. "What purpose do these little things serve again?"

"Well, they...shoo! Shoo, I say!" With an offended little gurgle, the animal hopped away to get into other forms of mischief. The Librarian shook his head, and he looked at Seladon with a shrug. "As I was saying, All Maudra, these little fellows _usually_ clean the mold and dust off of our tomes. Some of them just...eh...get a bit carried away at times."

"I see." Seladon looked around and, upon finding no immediate seats that weren't covered in books, chose to settle herself on the staircase. "I'll make this visit brief, as I'm tired from my journey and still have other matters to attend to."

"Of course!" The Librarian waded over to her and bowed. "My apologies, All Maudra. I have been up to my elbows in research and didn't give you the proper welcome home that you deserve."

"No need for apologies," Seladon assured. "You've had additional responsibilities besides watching over things in my absence. I imagine you've been scouring the books for information on the latest disturbances."

The Librarian paused, lowering the book he'd been carrying in one hand. "Actually my lady, I have found no answers. There's nothing at all in any tome I've searched that holds any answers. These...bats...are a complete mystery. The same can be said for the remains of the creature you found at the foot of the mountains."

Seladon nodded. "I hadn't really expected differently. It was only a small hope that there might be some record chronicling either of the creatures."

"I'm sorry I couldn't be of better service," he sighed, "but perhaps the theories that the darkening is twisting some existing wildlife of our world are right. I think we'd be best off just keeping a sharp eye out for any further strange creature activity. Perhaps the reason for the recent retreat of the blight is because more of the darkening is being absorbed by animals."

"I hope that isn't the case. It may be better for our crop yields, but we rely on the animals nearly as much as the harvests."

"Well," he said, putting the book away, "there haven't been any further incidents with the land strider herds. Wherever these mystery creatures originated from, it must have been far from our lands."

Not _too_ far, Seladon privately thought. She kept her opinion to herself though, because she had other things to think of right now. "You can stop researching. I have other things for you to do today. Things that should bring you good cheer, in fact."

A twinkle lit his eyes, and he smiled like a youngling. "Is it time, All Maudra? You are ready to finalize your union with the young paladin?"

"I am," she confirmed, smiling as well. "You know the ceremony better than anyone, and it would be my honor if you would preside over it. As for party business, I leave that in the hands of others."

He bowed. "I could not be happier to be of service. You know, I presided over your mother's joining ceremony as well. I hope one day to do the same for Princess Brea."

Seladon smirked. The old man would probably be scandalized if he got his wish, because if pair bonding was in Brea's near future, her husband would likely be her handsome Dousan. Seladon had come to learn a bit more about him and his clan, and she admitted that the Dousan gelfling were largely misunderstood. It would take some time for the rest of her people to abandon old prejudice, though.

"One can only hope," she said discreetly.

* * *

Three days later upon the rise of the sister moons, Seladon dressed in a bridal gown of gossamer silver and the palest of blue. The gown was backless, allowing her wings complete freedom. There were shimmer stones woven into the delicate material of her gown, and they caught the light and sparkled as she moved. She wore a tiara on her head with the same stones set into it, along with clear crystal beads. The split cape she wore draped over the back of her shoulders and down the outside of her wings, applying the illusion of a second set of wings. Her slippers were of the finest Vapran satin, silver and embroidered with clan symbols.

Seladon checked her reflection in the mirror critically. The color scheme and gemstones were chosen to honor the moons and the stars. It was said that the sisters blessed unions that took place under their watchful eyes. Couples that spoke their joining vows by the light of the moon were known to have a more enduring partnership and healthy offspring.

Seladon personally didn't put much stock in such romantic notions. She had always been a more practical thinker than a dreamer, but then her position in life had forced her to abandon fanciful, girlish notions at an early age.

She applied a dab of flower extract behind each ear and on the inside of her wrists. Satisfied with her appearance, the All Maudra took a deep breath and got up from the stool. She slid the stool back underneath the vanity, stretched and flapped her wings slowly to ensure they were loosened up, and she walked out of her dressing chamber.

Vaurin's mother was waiting for her in the corridor, and she put a hand to her mouth and gasped at the sight of her. Seladon looked down at herself, suddenly worried something was out of place.

"Is it too much, do you think? Should I change something?"

Jeni shook her head, dropped her hand and stepped closer. "Don't you change a thing, my dear. You are absolutely radiant! Oh, my boy is going to faint when he lays eyes on you. Either that, or he'll drag you off to consummate the pair bond before the ceremony even starts."

Seladon blushed and chuckled. "I think Vaurin has more self control than that, but I thank you for the praise. And...I thank you for accepting my request to be my escort."

Traditionally, the role of escorting the bride would have belonged to the mother, but since Mayrin couldn't be there to fulfill it, Jeni was the natural choice in alternatives. After all, she was soon to be Seladon's second mother.

Jeni's expression softened on her. "Of course, my lady. It's an honor to take this role in your special night."

The two women linked arms and walked the halls of the citadel to the exit. Paladins lined the halls, and they raised their saluted sharply as the women walked by, speaking heartfelt wishes of blessing to Seladon when she passed.

"Thra bless your union, All Maudra. May the sisters shine their light favorably upon you."

This too was a tradition, though Seladon was confident that her paladins were sincere in their well wishes. Not long ago they might have said it only out of propriety and duty, but most of her people seemed to have regained their faith in her after all of the hard work she put in to straightening up her act and making amends. Some hearts, Seladon knew, would always be closed to her. This was unfortunate but understandable, and she had only herself to blame for it.

"Where is Baffi?" Seladon asked in a low voice as they walked together. "At the farm?"

"Yes," confirmed Jeni. "I thought it best not to bring him, else he might get underfoot and disrupt your ceremony. You can come and visit him after you and Vaurin have enjoyed your lover's time together, of course. In fact, I insist on having a private family celebration and dinner, whenever you are ready."

"Of course," agreed Seladon, smiling.

It was cold out tonight, but Seladon wasn't willing to wait for the season to turn to warmer weather. Two of her paladins joined them, more ceremony really, but Seladon was glad for it when one of them offered her white cloak to her. She accepted it when he draped it over her shoulders, and she tugged it closed. She would need to remove it once they crested the hilltop where the ceremony was to take place, but it was a welcomed barrier against the elements until then.

They walked the winding, lantern illuminated paths of Ha'rar, passing through the citadel gates and going west from there. Seladon could see the blue flame of the brazier up on the hill, could see the gathered Vapra waiting there. She tightened her arm, pulling Jeni just a little closer. Jeni reached out to pat her forearm comfortingly.

"Almost there, my love. The anticipation is the worst part, but once it's over with, you'll have the rest of your life with your beloved one. I remember that feeling, and I envy the experience you're going to have this night. It only happens once in most gelfling lives, and nothing compares to it."

Seladon listened to her wisdom, and she looked at the older woman with some sympathy. Jeni was more than likely remembering her own joining night, and there was a wistful sadness in her eyes.

"If it were in my power to give him back to you," whispered Seladon, "I would."

"I know you would," whispered Jeni back, "but we can't bring back the dead. We can only carry their memories in our hearts and cherish the time we had with them. My Vahl wouldn't want me living out the rest of my days in the past. The living must move forward."

Seladon stored that bit of wisdom away in her heart, finding it sound. They ascended the hill, and as they crested it, the assembled gelfling parted to give way for them. That was when Seladon saw her groom for the first time since that morning, and the sight of him nearly destroyed her composure. She'd never seen Vaurin in anything other than his uniform clothes, and his hair—when not covered by his hood and helmet—was usually a bit unkempt.

The male that stood before her next to the Librarian looked to Seladon like a prince sent straight down from the stars. Vaurin was dressed in a white, wrap around shirt with long, gathered sleeves. The plunging V in the front of it revealed the top part of his chest and collar bone, his engraved medallion resting between his pectorals and shining in the moonlight. His legs were covered in matching white breeches, and his gray boots came up to the knee. The cape hanging down his back was also gray in color, and his garments were embroidered with silver symbols, both Vapra and Sifa in origin.

It wasn't just his clothes that made her breath catch and her heart want to leap out of her chest, though. Vaurin's hair was immaculately groomed, thick and shiny in the moonlight. He'd pulled it back on the sides to pin it with a clip in the back of his head. His little side braids had crystals woven into them, and he was so incredibly handsome to Seladon that she again suffered that maidenly thrill she'd thought to have weaned herself off of.

"Merciful Thra," breathed Seladon, worried that the sight of him might soon give her a case of the vapors.

Vaurin's left ear twitched at the sound of her voice, and he turned away from his brother to look at her. Seladon couldn't take her eyes off of him as she un-linked arms with his mother and unfastened her cloak, letting it fall to the ground without a thought. Her paladin's eyes widened as her bridal gown was revealed to him, and he reached out without warning to grab his brother's shirt, perhaps to steady himself.

"OUCH! Vaurin, you're twisting my nipple!"

Jermid's spontaneous outburst brought all murmured conversation to a halt, and everyone stared at the brothers. Vaurin hastily let go and mumbled an apology to the younger sibling, but his eyes remained fixated on Seladon.

There was some quiet laughter within the crowd, and the Librarian cleared his throat and stepped forward, beaconing to Seladon. "Come forward, All Maudra. Let us begin."

Jeni gave her a gentle nudge to set her into motion, and the stunned All Maudra walked to her groom with as much grace and dignity as her current state of mind could allow. Vaurin held his arms open, and Seladon stepped into his embrace without thinking. He stared into her eyes and slid his hands over her shoulders and down to her waist.

"You look..." he shook his head with amazement, his gaze dropping and then scanning back up to her face.

"_You_ look..." she countered, and she couldn't find the words for it either. If he'd presented himself to her like this from the beginning, she might have taken him as her lover on the spot.

"Please step back from each other," advised the Librarian, "so that we may get this union properly underway."

The couple reluctantly did as instructed, and the Librarian rang a crystal bell to command attention and signal the beginning of the ceremony. "Gelfling of the Vapra, this gathering is to witness and celebrate this most special union between our beloved All Maudra and her chosen suitor, Lieutenant Vaurin. The ribbon of joining?"

Jermid gave a little start, and he felt around in his pockets. He found the shimmering ceremonial ribbon he'd been entrusted with, and he handed it over to the Librarian.

"Now, join hands," he instructed the Librarian, "so that I may entwine the ribbon of binding."

Seladon took Vaurin's left hand in hers, as was tradition. The Librarian stepped forward and lightly wrapped the ribbon around their joined hands, winding it until it covered them both mid-way up the forearm.

"Now for the sacred wine," said the Librarian. He turned around to pick up the blue glass bottle of wine, supposedly left out in the moonlight the night before to bless it. He poured from it into a clear crystal goblet. He offered the vessel to Seladon. "Drink, my lady, and then offer the wine to your suitor."

Seladon took the goblet in her free hand and she brought it to her lips to sip at it. The wine was very sweet and thick, coating her mouth and throat like honey. She then brought it to Vaurin's lips as was tradition, and he drank as well. Some of it dribbled out the corner of his mouth because Seladon tilted the glass a tad too much, but he wiped it away deftly. She gave the goblet back to the Librarian with a nod.

"Well done," the old scholar approved. "Now speak your vows to each other for all to hear and for the sisters above to witness."

Seladon's mind went blank when she looked into Vaurin's eyes and parted her lips to speak. She'd prepared for this part, but she couldn't, for the life of her, remember a single word of what she'd rehearsed.

"Perhaps," suggested the Librarian when the moments ticked by, "we can bend tradition just a little and allow the groom to go first, hmm?"

Vaurin didn't hesitate, starting first with the ceremonial vow. "Seladon, by the will of Thra and the blessings of the three sisters, I swear to honor you, to love you and to be your partner in all things." He then paused, and he spoke his personal vows. "I've loved you almost from the moment I saw you, and that love has blossomed from a boyish crush to utter devotion. You are my strength, my light and my inspiration. Every part of me is yours from this day forward."

Deeply moved by his words, it took Seladon a moment to compose herself. She swallowed before she began. "Vaurin, by the will of Thra and the blessings of the three sisters, I swear to honor you, love you and to be your partner in all things. I...I..."

She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to summon the ability to form her feelings into words. "I hardly noticed you in the beginning. My world was consumed by my duties. I saw nothing beyond that."

She sighed, and she looked into his eyes. "But then you came to me in my time of need. You comforted me, and you protected me not only from the dangers around me, but from myself as well. I saw you then, and to this day I wish I had opened my eyes sooner. They are open now, my love, and the gift you give me this night is more valuable to me than all the wealth in this world."

Her vision blurred as his gaze softened lovingly on her, and she reached up with her unbound hand to stroke his hair. "You are my teacher, my protector and my friend. I could live a thousand trine and never find a better life mate."

She felt like she could go on and on, now that she'd jolted herself out of her daze. Seladon forced herself to stop before she bored everyone to death with endless praise for her lover, and she took a deep breath.

"Well said, the both of you," complimented the Librarian. There were a few sniffles amongst the crowd, proof that the exchange of vows had touched more than one heart. "Last but not least, let us ignite the sky lanterns and send them up to the sisters. My lady, my lord, press your foreheads together now and sing the hymn of joining while we send the lanterns carrying our good wishes to the sisters."

Seladon cupped the back of her groom's head, he did the same to her and their chilled foreheads met gently. Vaurin began the song with his low, melodic alto voice, and Seladon joined in, her higher, breathier tone complimenting his. Their people lit the floating paper lanterns, white and pale blue and painted with symbols of fertility, loyalty and protection.

The sky was lit up as the lanterns ascended gently into the sky, dozens of them. Other gelfling voices joined the hymn being sung by the couple, and Seladon felt like her very heartbeat was synching up with her partner's. The warmth of his hand clasped fast in her own seemed to flow through her body, staving off the cold.

Eventually the song ended. Seladon and Vaurin pulled back from one another, both of them smiling. She was willing to bet he felt the same relief that she did. His mother had been right; the moments leading up to this ceremony had been the worst part of it.

She realized that both she and Vaurin were bathed in brighter moonlight than before, suddenly. It was as if the sisters had spotlighted them, and the Librarian raised his hands and made an announcement.

"This union has been blessed by the sisters! They have heard our prayers, listened to the song in the hearts of both bride and groom. The ceremony is concluded." He lowered his hands, looking around with a smile. "Now...who's hungry?"

* * *

The celebration party was extravagant, with a huge spread of various delicacies ranging from seafood to elegant tarts and cakes. The noise and the clamor was hardly noticeable to Seladon, however. She couldn't take her eyes off her husband and he in return couldn't take his eyes off her. They hand fed each other, though food wasn't on either of their minds.

The only food she sampled that Seladon took particular notice of was the crustacean. She didn't often consume meat of any sort, but she had to admit that the sweet, pink and white meat she liberated from the cracked shell was delightful. Especially when dipped in the warm, herb seasoned butter they served with it. Of course it wasn't really the flavor and texture alone that was memorable to her; it was the way Vaurin boldly kissed the dribble of butter from the corner of her mouth when she got a tad sloppy.

It was almost painful to endure the party when all she wanted to do was retire to her chambers with her husband and complete their pair bond. Jeni came to her rescue after an hour passed and it became more difficult for the couple to conceal their impatience. She sat down at her son's side and made a soft suggestion.

"You've both been gracious enough tonight. There's no need to stay any longer; you have a pair bond to complete and the guests are stuffed full of food and wine."

Seladon and Vaurin exchanged a glance.

"Go," urged Jeni. "Away with you, else you'll be here all night and you'll be too tired to consummate the bond. I would like grand children some day, and the two of you sitting here out of fear of offending anyone isn't making that happen anytime sooner."

"Ow," complained Vaurin when his mother pinched his ear in a chastising manner. "Very well, Mother. We're leaving."

He got up, and he offered his hand to Seladon. She took it eagerly, shot his mother a thankful look and got out of her chair. A few partygoers had to notice them leaving, but nobody dared to say anything. After all, who would dare interfere with their All Maudra taking to her bed chamber to finalize her union with her new husband?

* * *

As soon as Seladon closed and locked her chamber door, her husband began to advance on her. She held up a hand to stop him, pressing it flat against his smooth chest with a shake of her head. "Calmly, my love. Give me a moment to appreciate you, first."

Vaurin was breathing fast, his amber gaze hot and needy on her. Nevertheless, he nodded and held obediently still as Seladon ran her hands over his body.

"This ensemble," sighed Seladon with appreciation, "is the very definition of sensual. Who tailored it for you? I would like to send them a gift of personal thanks."

"Just the local formal designer," he answered. "I simply gave him the color scheme you wished for, he took my measurements and made some notes of my coloring, and that was it."

"Well, he did a fantastic job," approved Seladon. She squeezed her mate's biceps, admiring the strength of them. "You look every bit the prince. The sort of male I used to dream of as a girl...before my duties slaughtered my ability to daydream."

"You like it that much?" He smiled, cheeks flushing lightly. "I wondered if it was too much; especially when he insisted on weaving the crystals into my hair. I feel so...overdressed."

She could have told him that there was no such thing as being "overdressed" for one's own joining ceremony, but Seladon understood what he meant. Vaurin had probably never dressed his body in such fine clothing before. He was used to dressing in plain, practical clothes. She imagined the sleek material clinging to his body felt strange and alien to him.

"Don't worry, my love," she told him, feeling emboldened enough to slid her hands over his backside and squeeze the firm, muscular cheeks of his bottom. "You won't be overdressed for very long. I just want to savor this moment first."

She kissed his throat, then his collarbone. She bent her knees and traveled lower down his body, dragging her lips over the expanse of his chest, pulling the material further apart with eager hands to expose more of him. Vaurin stood still, standing almost as if at attention, waiting for inspection from a superior.

"I want to kiss you," Seladon murmured, pausing to look up at him just after reaching his navel. "Down here. The way you've kissed me before."

He caressed her upturned face, breath catching with obvious excitement. "Do you, now?"

"Mm-hmm. Teach me how, Vaurin."

He blinked, surprised by the question. "You've never done it before?"

Seladon shrugged. "I'm afraid not. I would have done it to you long before now if I were confident enough to know what I was doing."

He didn't question her further. Instead, he gently eased the tiara off her head, and he set it down on the nearby side table next to the flower vase on display. "Start simple, love. Get familiar with it, and go with your instincts."

She lowered her gaze, sinking to her knees. The floor was hard, but she didn't care about that. Seladon stared at the bulge that had formed in his breeches, practically staring her in the face. The laces of his pants were straining, and she began to loosen them with care.

"What if I hurt you? I know how sensitive it can be."

He stroked her hair, and his breath was now unsteady with what she could reasonably presume to be excitement. It made her feel a bit selfish to have waited this long to reciprocate the pleasure he'd given her with his mouth. She wasn't afraid of his anatomy; on the contrary, she found herself continuously fascinated by it. Her only fear was that she would give a poor performance and leave him disappointed and frustrated.

"It's all right," encouraged Vaurin softly. "Just mind your teeth and don't bite it. You won't hurt me."

Seladon nearly shuddered at the thought of sinking her teeth into his vulnerable flesh. Nibbling his lips was one thing, and he seemed to like that. Nibbling down there was out of the question. "I'll be careful," she promised. She finished untying the laces of his breeches, and she parted the white material to free him from it.

Seladon swallowed as she slipped her hand in to ease his hard, warm length out of his breeches. Taking a steadying breath as he sighed with relief at being freed from the restraint, she stared at his arousal, trying to decide where to start. The tip seemed like the most logical choice, but there was a lot more of it than just the head.

"I think yours is more complicated than mine," she told him frankly, which made him quiver with soft laughter. "Well, it _is_! You have much more down here than I do."

"I wouldn't say it's more complicated," he reasoned. "Ladies are more...delicate. It takes some finesse to find just the right spots. Mine are more obvious. Everything is right there in the open."

"Yes, I can agree with that," she stated dryly. "There is just so _much_ of it. How do I pleasure all of that with only one mouth?"

Vaurin looked like he wanted to say something but didn't think it would be wise. She could tell that he revised his answer before he gave it to her. "Just take it a little bit at a time, beautiful. I promise you, I'm not going to complain or rush you. There's no hurry."

She wondered what his initial answer might have been. She had the sneaking suspicion that Vaurin knew exactly how she could progress, but he wanted her to figure it out on her own. Perhaps that was a good thing, because the last thing Seladon wanted to do was just repeat the actions of other women he'd been intimate with. This was her chance to discover her own technique, to explore him more intimately than ever before and learn his body like she knew her own.

As Vaurin said; all of his male parts were in full view and obvious. The stones were the only part that weren't in full view, tucked back behind the shaft and between his thighs. Seladon examined that part, curious about the fleshy sack. She understood enough about male anatomy to know that was where his seed was produced, but she'd never touched it before. Not his or any other male's.

Vaurin gave a little start when she slipped a hand between his legs to cup that part of him, feeling the weight of it in her palm. She fondled it curiously.

"I'll admit," Vaurin said breathlessly, "I wasn't expecting you to do that."

Seladon looked up at him. "Does it bother you, my love?"

He shook his head, the crystals woven into his side braids catching and reflecting the soft light of the globe lanterns. "Not at all. Feels good. Do whatever you want, but be gentle with it. No tugging, please."

"I assume squeezing it is also out of the question?"

Vaurin shrugged. "Hmm. Think of it like a fruit you're testing for ripeness. Just enough pressure to...oh...j-just like that, love."

Evidently her experimental little squeeze met his approval, because his face flushed and his voice deepened with pleasure. Seladon watched his expressions for a moment, then lowered her gaze to stare at the part she was handling.

"It reminds me of a velvet sack with nuts in it."

Vaurin made a choked sound, and she looked up to find him biting his lip, obviously struggling not to laugh. "What did I say that's so amusing, sir?"

"Your description," he said, voice quivering slightly, "is about the most accurate description of that part I've ever heard."

"I don't understand," she told him bluntly.

"Because you're a lady." He sobered, and he stroked her hair. "A woman of gentle upbringing. I won't be crude on our joining night, Seladon. Ask me again later, if you really want to know."

It didn't satisfy her curiosity, but right now, Seladon had other things to occupy her thoughts. She familiarized herself with the feel of that part for a while, and her mate fell into silence, but for his breathing. She knew that she had him in the palm of her hand—both literally and figuratively—when he spoke her name in a breathy, pleading voice. She saw his arousal twitch a little, saw a drop of fluid emerge from the tip.

Well, it was right there within mere inches of her lips. Why not? She placed a gentle kiss right on the flushed cap of it and then, tasting the salty drop of libation between her lips, she licked him there immediately afterwards. She heard his breath catch and by now, she could tell a sound of pleasure from a sound of discomfort from him. Seladon massaged his sack with her hand, having figured out that he liked that. She then started kissing up and down his length, uncertain of herself but determined to love him the way he so eagerly loved her.

Vaurin's pelvis started to shift gently, his swollen length brushing back and forth over Seladon's kissing lips. He said her name again, breathy and encouraging. Feeling more confident, Seladon parted her lips and let her tongue glide over him, licking from root to tip and back again. She impulsively gripped him with her free hand to keep it from wobbling, and she began to experiment.

"Oh, love," gasped Vaurin, going suddenly still as she slid her lips over the tip of his sex, taking it cautiously into her mouth.

There was no question of his pleasure in the act. Encouraged and feeling a rush of power in response to his helpless vocalization, Seladon took it further. She was careful to avoid making contact with her teeth, which was more difficult than it had sounded. She tried her best to make up for her lack of experience with enthusiasm, tasting his velvety skin against her tongue as she took more of him into her mouth.

"Yes," he moaned approvingly. "That's good, Seladon. Feels wonderful."

Becoming increasingly aroused doing this to him, she kept at it. She tried using suction, recalling some rather scandalous things she'd overheard from other females, most often the girls that earned their keep cleaning in the citadel. At the time when Seladon heard them whispering and giggling about it, the conversation hadn't made much sense to her. Now she knew what they were talking about when they said: "Treat it like a lolly".

She had to stop when she began to feel the urge to gag, and she pulled back to let his arousal slide back out of her mouth. Vaurin moaned again, and Seladon realized it gave him pleasure when she withdrew. She tried again, hoping to take more of him without gagging.

"You...don't have to...take all of it," he advised her when she choked a little. "That takes practice. Don't make...yourself sick, my love."

She stopped long enough to ask a question, still gripping him at the base with her hand. "But wouldn't it be more enjoyable for you if I can pleasure the entire thing?"

He caught his breath, and he smiled at her. "It would give me no pleasure if you took it too fast and got sick all over me. Take your time with it. I promise you that I'm enjoying every minute of your attentions."

Taking his word for it, Seladon resumed. She tried to use her hand to make up for what she couldn't fit into her mouth. Vaurin was quick to praise her when she did something he particularly enjoyed; a flick of her tongue, a turn of her head. There were many different ways to vary her technique, she found. He _really_ enjoyed it when she started bobbing her head, taking him in and out of her mouth, much like when they were joining.

Eventually, Vaurin begged her to stop in a strained voice, putting his hands on her shoulders to still her activities. Confused as to why he would want her to stop when he was clearly on the verge of arrival, she looked up at him questioningly. Panting, he held his hands out for her, and he helped her to her feet. She didn't even get the chance to ask him why before he was crushing his mouth against hers in a desperate, passionate kiss.

It was so raw with unrestrained need that it made Seladon weak in the knees. He lifted her in his arms, mouth still connected to hers, and the next thing she knew she was being carried across the chamber to the bed. Seladon gasped as he lowered her onto the bed and climbed on top of her, finally breaking the kiss to yank his boots off.

"Vaurin," she said, startled by his urgency, "why did you make me stop? I know you were enjoying it."

"Yes I was," he agreed, casting a little smirk at her. He set his boots on the floor, and then he took her slippers off for her one at a time. "I liked it _too_ much, you glorious sprite. You would have finished me if I'd let you keep going."

"I...thought that was the idea."

He unwrapped his shirt the rest of the way, shrugged out of it and dropped it on the floor. "Ordinarily yes, but if I'd let it go on I would have had to wait to recover to complete our pair bond."

He leaned over her and kissed her again, this time with more controlled passion. "And you, my love, are such a quick study that I feared my recovery might take longer than average. I don't want to wait a minute longer to become one with you, body and spirit."

Touched that he would forego his own pleasure for the sake of bonding sooner, Seladon reached up to brush the pink-silver fringe out of his eyes. "My devoted, sweet paladin. We won't wait any longer, but I hope the next time you'll allow me to keep going to completion."

"Of course," he vowed. "But you know there's going to be a mess involved, don't you? My arrivals aren't as...uh...clean as yours."

"I understand that." She kissed the tip of his nose. "I'm not completely ignorant, even if I lack experience in some acts."

"I just want to ensure you don't get a nasty surprise." He ran his fingers along the gauzy material of the cape attached to the shoulders of her gown. "You are so breathtaking. When I saw you approach on that hill, I thought my legs were going to give out."

"I could say the same of you. Your outfit for the occasion is just stunning on you."

"Then perhaps I'll wear it again at another time," he murmured. He started kissing her neck, and his hands deftly worked at the clasps on the front of her gown. "As enchanting as you are in this, I must insist on getting you out of it now."

Seladon agreed. They could go on and on about how beautiful they found each other, but the hour was growing late and this special union was going to require all of their energy to complete. She lay back to let him unfasten the front of her gown, and then she sat up to slip the top of it down. Lying back again, watching him, she lifted her hips so that he could slide the rest of it down her body and off. Vaurin wasn't as careless with her gown as he'd been with his shirt; he hung it up on the post for now.

Seladon flushed with the realization that her husband was still exposed, his arousal hanging out of his unlaced breeches. Somehow seeing him like that, on his knees on the bed wearing only his open pants, was arousing to her. She herself had only her lacy undergarment on. When he finished hanging up her gown and looked down at her, she could see by the heat in his gaze that he was equally excited by her state of undress.

"No," he said when she started to pull the delicate garment off. "Leave it on."

Seladon paused, her hips still lifted in the act he'd interrupted. "How exactly are we going to couple if I leave the panties on? Unless you intend to tear through them with you...endowments." Her gaze went to his exposed member, and she smirked.

Vaurin returned the smirk, and that sly glint that always meant trouble was in his eye again. "You'll see. Never underestimate a man in my condition, Seladon."

"Your condition?"

He shot a quick, meaningful glance down at his arousal, and Seladon felt foolish for failing to catch his meaning right away. "Oh. I see. Well, I must admit that I'm interested to find out how you intend to do this with a barrier in the way, so come to me."

"With pleasure. Lie back for me though, love. There's one thing I want to do first."

She did as he asked, relaxing against the pillows as he shimmied out of his breeches and crawled over to her, naked now except for the pendant hanging around his neck. He didn't join her side or ease his body on top of hers. Instead, he pushed her thighs apart and situated himself on his stomach between them.

"Now wait," Seladon gasped when he stroked her through the undergarment, "you wouldn't let me finish you earlier, but now you want to kiss me down there?"

"Our activities don't need to be paused if you arrive before we're joined," he reminded her huskily. "But it would be thoughtless of me to climb on top of you and start rutting without making you ready for me."

"I...I see your point but...oohh!"

Seladon lost the power of coherent speech when he nuzzled between her legs and then tugged the crotch of her undergarment to one side. Now she understood how he intended to access her down there without removing the panties. His fingers gently spread her, and then his lips and tongue began to work their magic.

Unlike her earlier performance, there was no hesitation or doubt on Vaurin's part. He loved her with passion, confidence and persistence. He grabbed one of her hands in his when Seladon began to writhe and grip the bedding. He held her hand supportively without pausing his attentions between her thighs.

Seladon expected him to go on until she peaked, but he stopped just when she was on the verge of it. He offered no explanation to her. Instead, he got on top of her, urged her to spread wider for him and he manipulated her undergarment again.

She was still throbbing from her near arrival when he entered her, and Seladon cried out sharply, digging her nails into his back. The feel of his hardness filling her to the hilt drove her over the edge. A satisfied, lusty smile curved his lips, and he stared down at her, watching the expressions flickering over her face as she succumbed to the pleasure. He didn't move at first, just holding still inside of her and stroking the crown of her loins with his fingers to prolong it.

"My Seladon," Vaurin purred once she calmed. He lowered his mouth to hers for a tender kiss, his burst of urgency fading into something more patient. He stopped fondling her, and he began to move. His strokes were slow and sure, his hips pumping smoothly.

Seladon caressed his back, regretting the marks she'd undoubtedly left there. The ones from the last time she'd clawed him had just healed up, and now she'd savaged him again. If Vaurin noticed or cared about the sting, he didn't show it. He kissed her throat and he cupped her bottom, silently encouraging her to motion.

She canted her hips, sliding her hands down his back to caress his bottom. His name formed on her lips, and she moaned when he arched over her and kissed her breasts. Seladon frankly forgot about the primary goal of this evening, so caught up in the pleasure of their coupling that it slipped her mind.

Vaurin hadn't forgotten, though. He kept going until his tension began to grow, and then he rolled over onto his back, taking her with him. Surprised by the move, it took Seladon a moment to catch her balance. She gasped as he shifted inside of her, his hardness pressing against an area deep inside of her that always caused a peculiar jolt.

"Are you all right?" he panted, resting his hands on her hips and looking up at her.

She nodded, and when Vaurin took his hands off her hips and held them both out, palms up. The action reminded Seladon that they still needed to make the dreamfasting connection. Seladon placed her palms against his without hesitation, and their fingers entwined. Both gelfling closed their eyes and opened themselves up to one another spiritually.

The link they formed was intense. Much more intense than the standard variety of dreamfasting, because the purpose behind this was not to share memories, but to share their souls...their very essence. Seladon gasped and tossed her head back, feeling her mate inside of her not just physically, but psychically as well. She heard Vaurin gasp as well, felt his answering astonishment.

She started to rock on top of him, opening her eyes to gaze down at his bewildered face. She could feel what he was feeling from the emotional to the physical. She had never been able to imagine what it must feel like for him when they joined, but now she knew. More external than internal, it was different from her own experience, but equally intense.

"Thra," cried Seladon, squeezing his hands harder. They were connected not only to one another, but to the dream world, to Thra, to existence itself. Vaurin started bucking beneath her, his grunts and cries echoing her own.

They finished in unison, him arching beneath her with a ragged groan, and her bowing her head and shuddering. Like a bolt of lightning and the crack of thunder, the couple became, just for a moment, one single spirit.

* * *

Neither of them could sleep afterwards, though they lay there in a heap together for a good while. After recovering enough to move, Vaurin kissed her and got out of the bed. He fetched the robe hanging on the wall for him, and he went to the window to open it up and let in some fresh air. Seladon joined him after slipping into her own robe. She came up behind him and embraced him around the waist.

"What are you thinking?"

Vaurin rested his hands over hers, staring out at the view overlooking Ha'rar. "I think if being taken over by an Arathim had been more like what we just did, I might not have developed a phobia of their kind."

Seladon smiled, and she rested her chin on his shoulder. "Yes. It was more intense than I had ever imagined. I can still feel you inside of me."

"And I you," he agreed. He turned to face her, and he caressed her wings in that sensual, loving way of his. "It isn't jarring, though. It's comforting."

"I feel the same. I also feel like my body is...well, almost humming."

"I thought that was just me!"

She chuckled and shook her head. "No, it isn't just you. It must be a lingering effect from the pair bonding. Surely it will fade with time."

He drew her into his embrace, and she gladly returned it. She sighed against his soft hair, feeling complete in a way she couldn't describe. It was like a part of her had been missing for all this time and she hadn't realized it until now. Vaurin had replaced that missing piece, and Seladon was sure that he felt the same way.

As they held one another in front of the window, Seladon thought she heard an unpleasant, high pitched sound from somewhere in the distance. She frowned, and she noticed Vaurin's ears twitched. He tensed in her arms, and he released her to move closer t the window and peer out of it.

"That sound," Vaurin murmured. "I've heard it before."

It sounded familiar to Seladon as well. It reminded her of the noise they heard in Stone in the Wood that morning, just before those strange bat creatures began to fall out of the sky. Seladon joined her mate at the window, looking up at the sky with a shiver of anxiety.

"Do you see anything?"

Vaurin shook his head, eyes narrowed and searching. "Nothing. I don't hear the sound anymore, either."

The couple looked at one another, each of them wondering if they had imagined it. Seladon had heard that some feedback could occur after an intense dreamfast, though she'd never experienced it herself. Perhaps it was the same with pair bonding.

"Come back to bed with me," she decided at last. "It was probably nothing, my love."

He hesitated for a moment longer, and then he nodded in agreement. The newly bonded couple shed their robes and lay together on the large, extravagant bed. They kissed, touched and eventually got one another worked up enough to couple again. The second encounter proved to be the undoing of the odd buzz of energy they'd been experiencing, and they fell asleep in each others' arms.

Fulfilled and content, Seladon and her paladin slumbered peacefully through the night, neither one aware of the creature that had just been clinging upside down from their window, watching their second encounter. In their vulnerable moment of being caught up in one another again, they had forgotten the suspicious noise from earlier. Had they not coupled the second time, one of them might have taken notice.

The creature flexed odd mandibles, and then it started losing its grip on the sill. The creature shivered, gave a squeak and then fell. First landing on the bottom sill and then to the polished stone floor, it shuddered, and its webbed wings began to shrivel and crack. The creature flopped around a little until it finally lay still, and then it degenerated further until there was nothing left of it but a pile of ash.

Seladon and Vaurin slept on, so deeply asleep that neither of them reacted to the brief noise disturbance.

* * *

-The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I know it ended on a bit of a cliff hanger, but there really was no more to write for this particular story. There will be a follow-up that will pick up where this one left off, and it will include more perspectives than just Seladon's, more focus on other characters and quite a bit more plot. Thank you again for reading!


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